Stranger and Stranger
by Jet556
Summary: Sequel to Stranger in a Strange School. When some of the students from A. Nigma get trapped in a production of Hamlet via voodoo, it is up to a few of the students including a particular new student to find a way out of this mess.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to this new story, everyone. I hope you enjoy it and will be able to give me suggestions for the later chapters.**

**Comedy**

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." Basil Hagen read from his copy of Twelfth Night. As he sat in the English class of A. Nigma, he spent less time thinking about the Bard's words and more about everything he had been through. From being the new student to standing up to his long time tormentor Brad Von Chilstein to finding best friends in Lee Ping and Tina Kwee. It would seem things had changed for the better for him. Basil continued to read this long bit of dialogue of Malvolio's from act two scene five and it only caused Basil to wonder why the teacher had given him the role of Malvolio. Sure make Lee Orisno and Tina Viola, Cam Sebastian and Brandy Olivia, Holger Toby Belch and Greta Maria and make Basil the villain for section of English class. It must have been his face that disfigured face of his, why else would the teacher have chosen Basil to read for Malvolio. Basil just remembered who the other students were with named characters. Biffy as Valentine, Chaz as Curio, Steve as Antonio, Ed as Andrew Aquecheek, Zed as Fabian and Irwin as Feste.

"I will not give my part of this part for a pension of thousands to be paid from the Sophy." Basil grimaced as he listened to Zed read Fabian's lines. He had a low opinion of the skaters and that opinion was that all of them put together didn't have enough common sense to fill a teaspoon.

"I could marry this wench for this device." Basil stuck out his tongue as Holger read Toby's lines. If only he were better at English. He mispronounced the words that only from reading the lines off the page could Basil understand what was being said.

"So could I too." Basil laughed for a moment. He saw some similarities between Andrew and the water boy. Basil then started to drift in and out of consciousness. That blasted song his mother had taken him to listen too caused him to keep going in and out of a trance. It was annoying. Finally the scene ended just as Basil was half way into the trance again and was seeing… Brad's head switch places with the taxidermy ferret's head? Talk about a weird side effect of the trance… for him!

Basil shook his head and walked outside of the class as the bell rang. Basil started to walk towards the cafeteria when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Lee. "Hey man, you okay?" Basil nodded. "You don't seem very talkative unless you're reading today. You sure?"

"I'm sure, Lee!" Lee didn't believe Basil. He sounded like he had a sore throat and he was rubbing his eyes like he hadn't been getting any sleep. "Hey, Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you see Brad's head float in the air and switch places with that stuffed ferret's?" Basil's eyes opened wide when he realized what he had said. He had said it loudly too! Tina walked over to Basil with a look of shock on her face.

"Basil, are you doing…"

"No, I'm not!" Lee raised his eyebrow.

"Then why the weird question?" Basil shook his head.

"I don't know, lack of sleep I guess." Basil didn't think he fooled Lee, Tina hopefully but not Lee. He flashed back to when he had bumped into Lee in the hall and that blasted song started playing from his phone. The song responsible for Basil constantly going in and out of a trance at random!

"Basil?" Basil looked at Tina. She was looking curious as Brad walked by. "What is the reason for you and Brad not liking each other?"

"It's complicated and long, I'll tell you both at my house sometime, if Lee can show up at my house." Basil chuckled a bit then stopped. It wasn't funny and Basil knew it. Lee's grounding wasn't funny, neither was his detention. Basil started to walk forward but quickly fell to the ground when he felt a locker door slam into his face. Basil looked up as the person the locker belonged to looked behind the door. It was Brad!

"Sorry man, completely accidental." Brad was taunting Basil. Basil knew, Lee knew, Tina knew it practically everyone knew it! Everyone had come to know the dislike the two had for each other. Some found it entertaining others found it frightening as whenever Brad taunted Basil, Basil got hurt. Basil immediately jumped to his feet and raised his fists aggressively.

"Okay, Brad, you're getting it this time!" Brad started to make over-the-top sounds that are heard in kung fu movies, along with the arms gestures since he did not know karate, kung fu or anything like that. Brad then turned around and started running. A minute passed and finally Basil chased after Brad. Lee then turned to look at Tina.

"Hey, Tina?" Tina looked at Lee. There was something they had been meaning to talk about, something specific. "About what happened with Brad at the…" Lee trailed off as he saw Basil running the way he had just come from. He was being chased by Brad… wielding a metal baseball bat! Tina turned around and saw what Lee was looking at. Both were taken aback by what Brad was doing. Even Basil was screaming something that sounded like "You're breaking the rules!" As Basil ran past both of them, with Brad chasing him, they both watched as Basil and Brad ran out into the parking lot where a week before Murder, the pet turkey vulture of Basil's former principal Bela Legendre had been struck by lightning. Both had a look of shock on their faces.

"Okay, I don't know what those rules are but Brad is going too far with that little war of theirs!" Tina stepped towards the direction Basil and Brad had gone in. "Someone has to intervene,"

"Too bad I have to get to detention." Lee walked away leaving Tina by herself. The newsgirl breathed and walked towards the parking lot. Maybe she could play peace maker.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back, gang. Since season 2 has yet to air, the most I can do is mention what we've seen in commercials. So I'm just going to have the date of this story be vague so I can only make mention of the first season besides what we've seen in commercials. Oh, and I think it's obvious when parts of this are from Basil's point of view. Say about them what you want but I think they add humor to the story.**

**Loopholes **

"Now Br-Brad, no-no baseball bats remember?" That was the first thing Tina when she stepped outside.

"Did I say no metal baseball bats?" Tina turned her head and saw Brad chasing Basil around Mrs. Ping's van. "Did I?"

As Tina walked towards the two, she wondered if Basil had been avoiding Brad. Actually, she only started to wonder when these two had come up with rules for their little war. If it was to keep other people from getting hurt, it was working.

She walked forward as Brad ended up cornering Basil in a corner, obviously. "Don't you think you are going too far with using a loophole?" Brad turned to look at her.

"No, not really." Brad then looked back at Basil. "What with the cookie dough and that baboon comment, it's a good punishment for him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Brad and Tina both looked at Basil. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Do all of you popular people take things too seriously? This is insane!"

"Sorry, Basil." Brad tightened his grip on the bat. "All part of-"

"Look a distraction!" Basil pointed randomly at something. Immediately, Brad turned to look.

"Where?" Tina watched as Basil ran away, presumably headed to detention. He did have two weeks of it after all. Brad stood there blinking then he looked around with a dumbfounded look on his face. "I didn't just fall for that did I?" Tina nodded. Brad sighed. "I'm gonna kill him."

As Basil ran for detention, not believing that his distraction bit actually worked Brad, a lot of things raced through his mind. What was wrong with Brad? He wasn't taking their dads dislike for one another too far. Besides the reason Brad and his dad, Ace Von Chilstein didn't get along was stupid. They were both into saving animals and what was the reason they didn't get along? They were both into saving different kinds of animals: the ones everyone knew about and the ones no one cared about. It was stupid. Why didn't they work together? Endangered animals were still endangered animals, id didn't matter if no one cared about them or not, they still had to be saved!

Basil then bumped into Magarita Tejada. A girl he only knew a bit but one who seemed to have known him from childhood, even if he didn't remember her. Actually, she claimed that he had known Lee and Tina also but he didn't remember them either. His mom seemed to know Mrs. Ping but he had no idea how.

"Hi, Basil!" Basil smiled. It was something he didn't do often since his disfigurement. "Lost on your way to detention?"

"Well, not in the traditional sense." Basil scratched his neck. "So, Margarita, I was wondering if you're doing anything on…" Basil trailed off as he heard the loud footsteps of Principal General Barrage. "We'll, talk later!" Basil ran past Margarita and headed straight for detention. No taking the long way this time, just straight to detention.

Basil ran into the room and sat down in a desk. "Dude, you should really try to bury the hatchet between you and Brad. That way you can get to detention quicker." Basil turned his head and looked at Biffy.

"You don't say." The sarcasm in Basil's voice caught Biffy off guard. Basil almost never used sarcasm.

"So what is the full reason that your dads don't get along?"

"Well, you see it all started with…" Basil looked around. "Wait, where's Lee?"

"Out." Biffy knitted away at a sweater. Basil still couldn't believe it. Who knitted with needles? Wouldn't a sewing machine be faster?

"What? Is he crazy? Is he crazy?" Basil ended up shouting causing Biffy to stand up, towering over Basil.

"Calm down, someone might here you." Biffy then sat back down. "Oh, and by the way people think you're crazy." Basil's jaw dropped.

"People think I'm crazy? Do you believe that? Me?" Basil started to raise his voice again. Biffy shook his head.

"First off, just like before calm down." Basil sighed. Why did Biffy keep telling him to do that? He was calm! "And I'd just like you to know, I'm one of those people." Basil stood up and walked towards the door. "Dude, what are you doing? If Barrage sees you then he'll think that Lee is out of detention, which he is." Basil kicked the door. The sooner his two weeks of detention were over the better.

"You know I never thought by having some strings pulled for who read what in English class that I'd end up reading Malvolio's lines." Biffy raised an eyebrow.

"You did that how?" Basil tapped a foot. He looked down in shame. "You promised front row tickets at a theater didn't you!" Basil nodded. "Well which one?"

"I'd rather not say."

"The one named after your grampa?"

"That's the one!" Biffy placed a palm over his face. Basil could not have done that.

"You have no shame!" Basil swallowed. "You just promised first row tickets to the Preston Hagen Theater, the home theater for the company your mom for, to a teacher who keeps slipping back into Italian!"

"Well, I do understand Italian."

"Don't change the subject." Biffy kept knitting away at… a sweater? A scarf? A hat? Basil had no idea. "So let me get this straight, you promised first row tickets to the English teacher?"

"Actually, I lied." Biffy starred at Basil. He wasn't convinced. "I did, I really did!"

"No, you didn't." Basil clenched his fists. He walked up to Biffy's desk and brought a fist down on it.

"Okay, well it this can work two ways." Biffy raised an eyebrow. Basil was really going to threaten him? "Either you believe me, or I take the rats from one of the science rooms and stuff them in Kimmie McAddam's locker." Biffy starred at Basil in shock. He wouldn't!

"How do you know about me and her?" Basil laughed in response to the question. Biffy glared. "I just told you?" Basil nodded, still laughing. Biffy then grabbed Basil by the shirt. "You do that and I'll turn you into a human pretzel."

"Speaking of pretzels, I'm hungry, you have any?" Biffy did not look happy. Basil swallowed. Good thing he wasn't being held by the throat, it would have been really difficult to swallow. "Yeah, okay sure!" Biffy let go of Basil who let out a sigh of relief. Biffy then went back to knitting.

"So, how are things between you and Margarita?" Basil couldn't believe this. He couldn't change the subject but Biffy could? Maybe everyone in this school besides Lee and Tina were crazy. "You remember her yet?"

"No not really." Basil looked at the needles that Biffy was knitting with. They seemed so hypnotizing.

"You remember Lee?"

"If I did I would have." Those needles never stopped moving! They were like a pendulum!

"Do you remember Tina?"

"Nope." Why did the needles keep moving like that? Why?

"Do you remember anything besides your grampa dying?" Basil shook his head. "Okay then you're hopeless." Basil nodded in agreement, his eyes still on the needles. He wished they would stop moving!


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back, gang. This chapter will focus less on Basil and interactions with people and more with setting up the story. With the previous two chapters I was just trying to get my readers to get use to Basil again. Also I want Legendre and Clarence to seem more sinister compared to what little of them we saw in Stranger in a Strange School.**

**Motives**

Barrage sat at his desk. On a computer screen was the face of the principal of Xanadu, Legendre. The two starred at each other, old friend, both graduates of the Octavius Caesar School for Boys, both in on the plot.

"Any word from Mrs. Hagen?" Barrage starred at the screen. There was some those two were paid to torment just for fun. Basil Hagen was rather defenseless against them, what could he do to prevent the coming torment?

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Legendre's thick Hungarian accent, combined with Barrage's vaguely southern accent made these two an odd pair. They weren't bumbling but they were dangerous competent. "Still nothing besides break his ego and his spirit." Barrage sighed.

"I've got the list of other students, right here." Barrage held up a sheet of paper. "Goldtsein, Ping, the quarterback whose last name escapes me, McFeeney, Moneranian, Point Conasty, Dexter, Martinez, Holgaart, Lemmon, McNeal-"

"The fifteenth grader you told me about?" Legendre raised a rather large eyebrow. His eyebrows were so large and close together that it was easy to believe he had a uni-brow. "Why him?"

"Hired thugs, since I can't leave the school without the Hazmat Squad we'll need a replacement."

"We already have Clarence, the Dragon, and the zombified former staff members of Xanadu, what do we really need an idiot whose in a grade that solely exists because of his constant failures for?"

"Just drop it. Carrying on: Stern, Von Chilstein, Ms. McAdams and Ms. Kwee. And I'll bring plenty of other students for the nameless roles." Legendre was tapping his fingers on his desk. "Cheer up, Bela! This is all for our entertainment!"

"How can I?" Legendre looked at a sheet of paper. "Murder is gone and worse we have to get rid of the electric chair because it's causing the price on electricity in the school to go up! I loved using that thing to get the truth out of people!"

"Have you considered medieval torture?"

"Unfortunately, we could get in trouble for that." Legendre smiled and held up a voodoo doll. "I'll see you tomorrow, Wendill, in the mean time I've got planning to do." Legendre turned off his computer and walked out of his office. Outside of it was waiting Vice Principal Byron Clarence. Dressed in a black prison guard uniform, he was a man with a deep, commanding, powerful voice, cold blue eyes and a towering height.

"Does he suspect anything?" Legendre shook his head. "Then no one shall be the wiser."

"Yes, I use my voodoo to shall we say make some of the students exit permanently then you can break Hagen's back!"

"His mother will never allow that." Legendre laughed. Clarence was being so small minded.

"She is a woman!" Legendre watched as some girls passed by. "What does that gender know?" Clarence grinned. They would both go down in history for what they were going to do. Sure it would go against what their organization was planning but they were cruel and enjoyed being cruel, after all Cassius Hagen did seem to die of a heart attack, a few young people dying of heart attacks on the same day wouldn't raise and suspicion at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back, gang. The plot finally gets going in this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Like an Owl!**

When Lee had gotten home, he found his mom looking at pictures. One particular picture caught his eye. His kindergarten class picture! One of the names of the students in that picture was familiar.

When Lee got to school the next day, he intended to show that particular student that picture. That would probably jog his memory!

As soon as Lee stepped into school, he heard a clang. Lee ran around a corner and saw Basil, holding a pen and notepad and Brad on the floor with a hand on his head, next to an open locker door. A bunch of students, including Tina, were watching as Basil did some work on the notepad.

"Okay, so that's two wins for me, fifteen wins for you, and fifteen ties!" Basil counted his notepad. "Wait a minute, we haven't been doing this that long here! How many times a day have you been coming after me?"

"I've lost count." Brad sighed as he held his head in pain.

"Man, I should start writing down this information in a journal, that way we can really know the score!" Lee shook his head as Basil and Brad started to discuss the score. Lee walked over to Tina, he did intend to explain everything to her, he just didn't know when he'd be able to without the time getting in the way, or other things.

I can't believe this!" Tina starred at the two discussing their score. "Since when did these two keep score?"

"I was going to show Basil something but it can wait." Lee looked over at Basil and Brad. Both Lee and his crush raised an eyebrow at the current argument going on.

"Are you saying I can't do math?"

"Brad, I doubt you can even count past twenty." Lee and Tina then both looked at each other.

"Show him something?" Lee showed Tina the picture. He pointed at the name and then pointed at a kid in the class picture. The resemblance to what Lee and Tina presumed was how Basil looked before the car accident, the look he used film make-up to create, was uncanny. He looked liked Basil, younger, less square and more round in appearance. He was wearing glasses that made him look laughably owl-like in appearance. It was Basil! "Basil? That was him?"

"I can't believe it either, I don't even think I was paying attention during attendance. If I was I would have put the pieces together earlier." Lee looked over at Basil. Why had he stopped wearing glasses? Did he get laser eye surgery? Was he wearing contacts? Lee's thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a loud, metal footstep was heard. Within seconds Barrage appeared on the scene. The cyborg principal looked around. Only four of the students needed were in the hallway.

"Ping, Hagen, Von Chilstein, Ms. Kwee, you four are some of a select few going on a trip today, with a large amount of minors." Basil blinked. Select few? Minors? Legendre had at one point used those same words before using his voodoo to trap the selected students in a production of 'Richard III' for his entertainment. Something was up. He knew it! "Get to the parking lot and wait for the rest." Barrage walked away. Basil watched as Barrage walked away, knowing that was something was up. But what?


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome back, gang. Nothing much to say this time but enjoy. **

**Unbelievable**

The Preston Hagen Theater, named after Basil's grandfather who like his only son had died of a heart attack. A talented stage actor, Preston had never gone into film work because he felt it was cheating, an actor could retry as many times as they wanted. Not on the stage on the stage an actor had to really prove how talented they were.

Preston's death had caused quite an impact on Basil. He didn't remember much about being five other than Preston dying. That was the only thing he remembered. He had been right there when Preston died in the vegetable garden, the only person with him. It was hard on him.

Basil couldn't believe it. Here he was at the Preston Hagen Theater. But why? Barrage had brought a bunch of students here: Biffy, Lee, Steve, Ed, Chaz, Zed, Irwin, Cam, Holger, himself, Lynch, Chopper (he must have been brought along for good behavior), Giuseppe, Brad, Kimmie, Tina and a bunch of other students. There was something terribly familiar about all this.

As Basil stood before the stage, he wondered about many things. Brad's treatment of him, Lee and Tina's strained relationship, Lee being framed for a prank he didn't commit. Why? Why was everything like this? From what he knew Lee and Tina used to have a better relationship. Why didn't Lee just tell Tina everything? Wouldn't it be so much easier than hiding everything?

Basil stopped wondering when he heard footsteps coming towards him. Heavy footstep, wearing steel toed shoes, being worn by a man who breathed so loudly that deaf people could hear him. Basil turned around and saw Clarence of all people with a raised prison guard baton in his right hand.

"I should have known!" Basil starred at Clarence's raised hand while everyone else starred at him and Clarence. "What's the matter? Is Legendre not paying you enough so you start working for Barrage?" Clarence placed his baton in his holster and started to walk away. He opened the doors to the theater and in came the Dragon! At one point it had been a harmless iguana then upon being mutated by the science teacher it had turned into a crocodile sized monitor lizard that only Clarence could control. The grey skinned reptile starred at Basil with yellow eyes, it's tongue like a snake's tongue constantly going inside and outside it's mouth. Behind the Dragon were both Barrage and Legendre. "Why didn't I see it before? Barrage doesn't have the intelligence to come up with something like this! Neither does Clarence! So here's a question, why keep torturing me?" Barrage clenched his metal fist and Clarence drew a gun that looked vaguely 1930's sci-fi. Both were insulted. They were both as intelligent as Legendre, but it was obvious that Basil was just taunting them to divide them against each other.

"Just for entertainment, nothing more, nothing less." Legendre grinned as Basil clenched his fists. The rat faced man with long fingers like spider legs enjoyed torturing his students, not just his students but students in general. That was why he became a principal. "It looks like you need a reminder of my power." Legendre turned to look at Clarence. "You know what to do." A cruel, twisted smile appeared on Clarence's face.

"Hannibal!" The Dragon looked at Clarence. Basil's jaw dropped. That thing had a name? "Sic fa-" Clarence was interrupted as a woman entered the theater. Sondra Hagen, Basil's mother.

"A word, gentlemen." Barrage, Clarence and Legendre turned to look at Sondra. All three of them had sad looks on their faces, like children not being able to play a game. "And chain that monster up before we have our discussion, Clarence." The sound of Clarence grinding his teeth could be heard by everyone in the theater. Basil gave a sigh of relief. His mom to the rescue! What luck! As Clarence put the Dragon on a chain leash, the reptile gave a hiss that could have been translated as 'next time.' As Sondra and the three men left the theater to talk Margarita walked up to Basil. She was one of the minor students that Barrage had mentioned.

"It's real?" Basil nodded in response.

"And has a name apparently." Basil then looked over at Brad, sitting in a seat near the front. "Hey Brad! You want those donations cooked or raw?" Bard shook a fist at Basil. A few days earlier, Brad claimed if the dragon was real then he'd eat the donations he had on him. He wasn't happy about losing the bet that would have had Basil be used by the football team for tackle practice if the dragon didn't exist. Basil was going to show a picture he had taken but this worked out better! Basil looked at Lee and Tina as walked towards him. "Well Lee, how do we get out of this?"

"You know more about this thing than I do." Basil sighed. Lee was right. "You tell me?"

"Legendre can't so this! What about the school board?" Tina's question filled Basil with dread. He knew the answer to that question and he'd rather not tell Tina. Unfortunately, he had to.

"I'm sorry to tell you all this but what I had discovered at my old school makes the idea of bringing this complaint t the school board pointless." Lee, Tina and Margarita starred at Basil with shocked expressions.

"What are you talking about?" Basil lowered his head at Lee's question. Lee had discovered things at A. Nigma and Basil had discovered things at Xanadu. The things Basil had discovered had followed him to A. Nigma. That was something he never imagined would have happened.

"Legendre controls ninety-percent of the school board!" Tina gasped, Lee's eyes widened and Margarita just looked away. "There is nothing the school board can do. He practically is the school board!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome back, gang. So the students are out of the school now and the story really gets going. Enjoy.**

**Cast List**

Clarence starred angrily at Basil. He starred angrily at all the students. While they sat up near the front, he sat at the back of theater with Legendre while Barrage sat somewhere in the middle. Sondra Hagen was on the stage talking to the students and all while she talked, Clarence just looked at the big picture: students in pine overcoats.

While the hotheaded Clarence tried to keep his temper under control, Legendre thought about his niece Audrey Connery. She should have tried harder to keep Basil out of the way. She had been able to identify one of the students she had met when she visited A. Nigma: Tina Kwee. Barrage considered both her and Lee Ping a thorn in his side? Both didn't seem to approve of Barrage's methods.

"So you will all be playing the parts of on stage." Sondra Hagen was far kinder than Basil gave her credit for. In reality he had been hit so hard when his dad died that he had painted her as the villain in his mind. "I have a cast listing back stage so you can all go look at it after this and after that I'll show you the costumes you'll be wearing." Basil sat at the far corner of the front row. Far from his friends far from everyone! Basil knew something was up. Lee could tell when something wasn't right back at A. Nigma but not here. Legendre, Clarence and the Dragon: all of this was not just some English field trip. Why would those three be here if they didn't have some sort of scheme. Both Lee and Tina listened intently. While they weren't sitting next to each other they both wondered the same thing. They weren't wondering about how they'd be able to remember the lines but how Basil could have such a low opinion of his own mother. They had never seen him so cold towards someone, perhaps only when he was starting out at A. Nigma. Basil didn't even notice as people started to go back stage to see the cast list. When Lee and Tina walked towards him, he only turned his head and gave a cold stare. They understood what kind of a mood he was in and walked away to see the cast list. Then Sondra sat next Basil. Basil didn't look at his mother he just starred at the floor. "You know we'll have to discuss this cold shoulder of yours eventually."

"I don't have much of one anymore. Basil stood up and started to walk away to see the cast list.

"No, only towards your family." Basil stopped for a second. The only members of his family he ever had been close to were his dad and his grampa Preston. Why shouldn't he be cold to the others?

When Basil arrived back stage, there wasn't much of a crowd. People were discussing the roles that had been given. Basil walked towards the cast listing.

The first name he saw on the list was Biffy's. Biffy would be playing two roles: Claudius, the brother to the late king Hamlet, and the ghost of the late king. Biffy as Claudius? A shrewd, lustful, conniving king who contrasted sharply with the other male characters in the play? The ghost on the other hand? Basil thought of the actors he knew about who had played the ghost: Patrick Allen and Brian Blessed. He then thought about the actors he knew about who had played Claudius: Patrick Stewart and Derek Jacobi. Basil had the unfortunate tendency to channel actors who had played a part before him, Biffy did not have that tendency so he would not end up channeling any of the four actors he had thought about. Thank goodness!

The second name on the list was Lee's. The role was Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark and son to the late king. Basil was unsure about Lee's acting ability. From what he heard from Biffy, Lee's acting was rather wooden. But Basil had read the play so carefully and cleverly that he had the sense that he didn't know everything there was to know about the character. Maybe Lee with his wooden acting had a chance with the character. The only problem was that there was no resemblance between Biffy and Lee.

As Polonius was Steve the quarterback! Basil starred at the cast list and he turned to look at Steve. "You do not have the ability to play such a sinister character!" Steve scratched his head.

"Can you help me?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no! Depends on how many scenes I appear in!" Basil turned his back on Steve and looked back at the cast list.

Ed as Horatio? Horatio was Hamlet's best friend and Ed hated Lee. There was something terribly ironic about all this! Basil turned around. He looked at Lee and then looked at Ed. Basil must have been stuck in a nightmare.

Basil then looked at the name beneath it. Chaz as Laertes, Polonius' son. It made sense. Chaz viewed himself as a hero and Laertes also did, even though it was clear to Basil that Claudius had ended up making a pawn out of Laertes he continued to view himself as a heroic figure. Chaz could pull it off. Hopefully.

Zed as Voltimand. Only appeared in a couple of scenes. Irwin as Cornelius. Same as Voltimand.

Basil looked at the next name. Cam was the choice for Rosencrantz and the first gravedigger. Besides playing the comedy relief that only appeared in one scene, Cam would be playing Hamlet's friend who was a spy for Claudius. The name below Cam's was Holger's. Holger was the choice for Guildenstern and the second gravedigger. What applied to Cam's roles also applied to Holger's.

Basil looked down at the next name. Basil's jaw dropped. It was his own name. Basil would be playing Osric and the Player King. Basil really hoped that for Osric he wouldn't end up channeling Peter Gale or Robin Williams. As for the player king, he hoped he wouldn't end up channeling Emrys James or Charlton Heston.

Basil looked at the next name. Lynch as Marcellus! That wasn't possible. Marcellus was an everyman who only appeared in the first act and Lynch was a nobody! No, Basil was a nobody, Lynch was less than a nobody, whatever that would be. It just didn't make sense! Hell had frozen over! Pigs had learned to fly! Basil's life had turned upside down! Nothing made sense anymore! Basil looked at the next name. Chopper as Bernardo. He only appeared in the first act so he wouldn't have much to do. Next was Giuseppe or Joe was whatever that emos name was as Francisco, who once again only appeared in the first act, and… Prince Fortinbras of Norway. An emo was playing an implusive, hot-headed prince that was determined to avenge his slain father at any cost? Where was the logic in that?

The next name was Brad's. The roles he would be playing was Reynaldo, Polonius' servant who only appeared in one scene, and the player poisoner. Sure, that worked.

Basil then looked at the next name. It was Kimmie and she would be playing Gertrud, the queen and Hamlet's mother. This was weird. That was all Basil could think about.

The last name on the list before the long list of extras who played the unnamed characters was Tina's. Tina would be playing Ophelia, Polonius' daughter and thus Laertes' sister but she was also Hamlet's love. Basil smiled. Maybe Hell had frozen over. Maybe pigs hadn't learned how to fly. Maybe his life hadn't turned upside down. Maybe things still made sense. Lee as Hamlet and Tina as Ophelia. That was perfect.

Basil turned around and walked towards a chair. It wasn't as much a chair as a prop throne but either way Basil sat in it. At that moment Brad walked over to him.

"So, you've read Hamlet, right?"

"Seven times!"

"Good, so can you explain something to me?" Basil nodded. "Who the heck is Reynaldo?"

"Reynaldo is Polonius' servant." Brad frowned. Basil continued to smile.

"So let me get this straight? I'm Steve's servant?" Basil nodded. "So what is Polonius exactly, a lord or something?"

"The prime minister, the king's right hand, with the current king being Claudius played by Biffy." Basil smiled and looked over at Biffy. He gave the thumbs up to Biffy for his luck with getting the role of the villain. "A sinister character, in the same way that Claudius is sympathetic… but that all depends on the actor and the production. Now Brad, I've got a question for you."

"What?"

"How do you want those donations? Cooked or raw." Brad starred at Basil. He was not impressed with being reminded of having lost the bet. Brad simply walked away mumbling. Basil simply smiled and relaxed in the throne, there was still an ominous shadow with Legendre present in the theater but in the mean time Basil could relax.


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome back, gang. Now this is a story where a lot of things can happen. So besides my ideas, I really want to know what ideas you have for this one. That is the point of me saying a lot of things can happen. If I don't use your ideas it keeps you wondering what will happen. Also there are references to The Lovely Sky's 'Maybe Someday' and QueenGenie16's 'Teenage Romance' in this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Costumes**

Basil sighed as he walked out wearing one of the two costumes for the player king. "Yeah, I'm going to end up channeling Charlton Heston and Robin Williams." The costuming was in the style of the Victorian Era. With his flat cap having been switched for a top hat, Basil felt nervous. The flat cap was his favorite hat, his lucky hat, it was the hat his dad gave him the Christmas before he died. Chaz walked out not long after in one of the costumes for Laertes, the first costume when Laertes is present for the wedding of Claudius and Gertrude. There was something poetic about how different the two costumes were: one more down to earth and a man of the theater, the other one of the upper class.

"Who's Charlton Heston?" Basil shook his head. Didn't matter if he told Chaz. He probably would have forgotten. Not long after the rest of the boys came out in costume. Basil starred at Lynch, Chopper and Giuseppe in their guard uniforms. Chopper didn't look as intimidating as he should have but the prop spear gave Basil a good reason to be scared. Basil hadn't stood up to Chopper, everyone else had but Basil hadn't and no doubt Chopper would try to take revenge by bullying the one person who hadn't stood up to him. Basil then looked up at Biff. His jaw dropped. Dressed as the ghost, in that armor, Biffy looked more intimidating that Chopper did.

"Well, I'm going to see you like this coming for me in my nightmares." Biff raised an eyebrow.

"What do you dream about at night?" Basil shrugged.

"I don't know I'm not really paying attention." Basil looked around. "Hey, where's the rest of the cast? The girls?" Basil shook his head. "Oh well, the costumes they got probably take more time to put on than ours." Basil swallowed. "In the meantime I guess I can recite some Shakespeare for we few, we happy few, we band of brothers." Brad scowled. The last thing he wanted to hear was Basil speak words he couldn't even understand. Basil cleared his throat and started to recite 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' from Macbeth. "She should have died hereafter, there would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing."

"Is that all?" Basil turned his head to look at Cam.

"Yes." Cam raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it would be longer than that." Basil shook his head. If he had a nickel for every time he heard that he'd have a lot of nickels.

"That was Nicol Williamson you were channeling!" Basil looked at Chaz. Unbelievable. He knew who Nicol Williamson was but he didn't know who Charlton Heston was? Basil then turned his head as the girls all came out onto the stage in costume. Basil's eyes were not looking at the girls but at Clarence as he walked toward the stage. Brad's eyes were also on Clarence.

Lee looked at Tina. His palms were starting to sweat. He felt dizzy. There was a goofy grin on his face and eyes filled with love that he felt for her.

Tina looked at Lee. The world slowed down. Her cheeks blushed. She was stuttering.

Then all of that little romance was interrupted: by Brad kissing Clarence's feet. Basil looked at this with eyes that said he was not impressed. It was just wrong.

"You're the grand master!" Basil shook his head. "What's mine is yours, what's theirs is yours, what's yours is yours!"

"Gee, Brad. Who'da thought you could sink so low." Brad stood up and starred at Basil.

"Big talk for someone who use to be Barrage's spy."

"Yeah, well I never kissed his feet." Brad was about to walk over to Basil until Clarence beat him to it. Grabbing Basil by his shirt and holding a prison guard baton, there was a cruel look on Clarence's face.

"Victoria isn't here to save you this time, Hagen!" Those cold blue eyes seemed to look right into Basil's heart and soul. "I'm going to make an example out of you so your classmates know not to cross me!" Basil closed his eyes, waiting for the baton to come crashing into his head. But thankfully it never came.

"Mr. Clarence, might I remind you that you're here to keep the kids that are not on stage out of trouble." Sondra walked onto the stage causing Clarence to loosen his grip. "I'm not sure if you've noticed that some of these students don't look like the type to act civilized." Sondra's eyes were on Chopper. Even if they weren't everyone would have known whom she was talking about. She then walked over to Brad. "And Brad. From what I've heard you've been taking the dislike my late husband had for your father too far. How many arguments I was present for because your father never bothered to remember his lines, constantly improvising or reading off of cue cards. Dear Cassius adapted his books for the screen with such skill that they were word for word except for when your father was speaking. And I know that you nearly drowned Basil when you and him were at camp together as five year-olds. Don't try any funny business. You're mother and I are good friends and I really wouldn't want to bring her into this." Brad swallowed nervously. He looked around a bit embarrassed. He really hoped that no one else would know of Basil's near drowning back in 2001. Sondra then looked over at Lee and Tina. "Lee, Tina, please tell your parents I said hi." Lee and Tina both looked at each other. How did she remember them when Basil didn't? Sondra then looked back at Clarence. "Do you understand Mr. Clarence? No harm is to befall anyone and don't yell angrily. There are owls living in the rafters and I'd rather not disturb them while they slept." Clarence nodded, not happy at all. The only word Basil heard however was 'owls.' "Good, now go into the waiting room backstage where if you have not guessed it's were you will be keeping an eye on the students not on stage."

"I'm not as dumb as I look." Clarence grumbled as he walked away. He then stopped at Basil and looked over at him. "What's the matter with you? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ironically, Basil was standing next to Biffy but Basil looked frightened for another reason. He was thinking about the owls in the rafters. Clarence then walked offstage. Not to the waiting room, but to some other part of the theater.

While Legendre took his voodoo dolls out of his suitcase, he looked over at the stage while the students started that weren't in the first scene left the stage. Basil at least wasn't. He looked light-headed, sick. Legendre hoped it was something deadly. He was stuck in the place he was standing. While Lynch, Chopper and Giuseppe tried to make him move and failed Basil said one word. "Owls?" Legendre frowned. Basil wasn't sick. He was paralyzed with fear.

Margarita tried to get Basil's attention by snapping her figures but Basil didn't respond. He just starred out into space. Legendre watched this and finally snapped his fingers. Into the theater came two zombified looking people. One dressed like Tutankhamun, the other like Poseidon. He pointed at Basil and they nodded. The two zombified former staff members of Xanadu walked towards the stage. By the time they reached the stage, Basil laughed a bit then collapsed. The two zombies looked at each other then looked at Legendre for instructions. Legendre held out his hands in a carrying motion. One of the zombies grabbed Basil by the arms, and the other by the legs. They then carried the unconscious Basil off stage. A short moment later, Chaz walked on stage and grabbed Basil's top hat that had fallen off of Basil's head when he collapsed. Chaz later left the stage. Legendre shook his head as Sondra and Barrage sat next to him. Sondra eyed not the voodoo dolls but the needles that Legendre had on a table.

"Needles? This is to make the students appreciate Shakespeare not to injure them." Legendre swallowed and thought quickly.

"Just to represent the prop weapons." Legendre lied. He wanted to end up in the history books for what he was going to do. Sondra didn't believe what Legendre told her and knew just like her son did, that something was up.


	8. Chapter 8

**Welcome back, gang. Not all of the scenes from Hamlet will be shown in this story in fact Basil will be unconscious throughout the entire first act. Just some heads up! Enjoy.**

**Meanwhile During Act I Scene I**

The waiting room was in reality a library. While Clarence sat near the door the two zombified former staff members of Xanadu had placed the unconscious Basil on a table. The people in the first scene of the first act were Giuseppe as Francisco, Chopper, Ed, Lynch and Biffy. While people sat at the table that Basil had been placed on, not trusting Clarence to not try and attack Basil while he was unconscious, Brad walked over to the ex-prison guard captain.

"So, I understand you don't like Basil." Brad looked at Clarence as he read a book on medieval torture. Medieval torture was the only thing Clarence read about. Clarence nodded.

"I understand that you nearly drowned him." Brad swallowed.

"It was just a joke!" Brad didn't raise his voice. He did not want to attract any attention. "I was just trying to scare him. I had no idea he couldn't swim. In hindsight I should have just beat him up." Clarence chuckled.

"Yeah, someone like you beating up someone like him." Brad glared angrily. Clarence was making fun of him! "Neither of you look like the violent sort."

"Look, all I want is for you to hurt him, make it look like an accident!" Brad turned his head as Giuseppe entered the library. The emo didn't even pay any attention to him and Clarence. Brad then turned his head to look back at Clarence. "Be creative! Use a candlestick, a dagger, a water pipe, a revolver, a rope, a wrench, I don't care how just hurt him." Clarence put down the book on medieval torture he was reading.

"I don't care why you want me to hurt him." Clarence leaned forward to look at Brad. "All that I ask is that I be paid for this." Brad grinned. He'd pay with the donations he had on him. Get out of the bet that Basil had won. This was perfect!

"Okay." Brad nodded in agreement. "And remember be creative!" Clarence nodded and went back to reading about medieval torture. As Brad walked back to the chair he had been sitting in, Lee starred wondering what those two had been talking about.

Lee had not seen Clarence when he had delivered Murder to Barrage. Basil had mentioned him a few times. Lee couldn't believe that such a person would be allowed to work at a school. Vice Principal Victoria was kind and had some control over the tyrannical Barrage but Clarence didn't seem to be any better than Legendre.

Lee was one of the students sitting at the table that Basil had been placed on. Basil would have been able to help the students with the lines of the play if he wasn't unconscious so all of the students were reading copies of Hamlet. There were at least ninety-eight copies of Hamlet in the library so that was helpful. There was plenty to go around without anyone having to share a copy.

But as Lee read, he started to suspect that something was going on. Something that Barrage didn't know about from his friend. Basil had mentioned Legendre being an expert in voodoo, something that Lee didn't believe in but from what he had seen in his investigations he wouldn't be surprised if voodoo was real, even though he hadn't seen anything that could not be scientifically explained.

Tina watched as Brad sat down in a chair. She liked him but her strained relationship with Lee was making everything so difficult for her. She liked Lee, too, but she still hadn't gotten the interview she had been promised and that whole hair incident on that Wednesday had left her angry. But still she didn't like the thought of Brad being the one who would have a dislike for Basil that could result in the latter being hurt. It just wasn't right.

Suddenly a sound was heard. Everyone sitting at the table looked at Basil as he weakly raised his head only to fall back into unconsciousness. There was a thud as Basil's head hit the table. There was no sign of him regaining consciousness after hitting his head.

Brandy was one of the people sitting at the table Basil was on. After seeing him hit his head, she walked up to the door, with intentions to see if she could find a pillow or something in the prop room to prevent Basil from getting a head injury should he only briefly regain consciousness again.

As she reached the door Clarence's hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist. "Going somewhere, my lovely?" Brandy's skin crawled. Clarence just wasn't brutal he was creepy! If a guy from school had asked her that it would have been cute. Coming from Clarence it was disturbingly creepy. She just shook her head. Clarence let go of her wrist and Brandy walked back to the chair she had been sitting in. Just then there was a knock at the door. Clarence opened the door and in entered an older white haired man in a shabby looking outfit walked in with a cart with various things on it.

"Good morning all!" Clarence starred at the stuff on the cart: Books of the theater's history, pillows and…taxidermy boar heads? "Want anything?" Clarence grabbed the man by the shirt violently and starred into the man's black eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" The man pointed at a nametag on his jacket. It had 'G. Morgan' on it. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here." Mr. Morgan pried Clarence's hands off of his shirt. "I supply things to the actors for when they wait for it time to be on stage." Brandy instantly walked over to the cart and grabbed one of the pillows and took it back to place under Basil's head. Clarence was looking at the taxidermy boar heads.

"Why would anyone want those?" Mr. Morgan looked at boar heads.

"No one, I've got to get those to the prop room!" Morgan looked around at the students. "Young actors!" Morgan then walked over to the table that Basil was laying on and looked at the unconscious student. "Ah! Attacked by the owls no doubt! Never go up into the rafters! At least not during the day, they leave the window up there at night so it's safe until they come back." Mr. Morgan then looked closer. "Say! This kid looks familiar!" Lee and Tina both starred at Mr. Morgan. The two could not have met. "Kind of resembles the ghost but disfigured and a lot younger." Clarence shook his head.

"Superstitious old coot." He muttered. Mr. Morgan instantly turned his head and looked over at the ex-prison guard.

"I heard that!" Clarence for the first time had a look of shock on his face. The two were at different sides of the room, there was no way he could have heard Clarence. "Preston Hagen's ghost haunts this theater protecting people from on-stage accidents." Mr. Morgan walked over to Clarence. "You look like a violent man with a mean temper. I wonder would good Preston protect people from you." Clarence glared at the old man. No one mocked him! No one! "Those who have seen him, say he is costumed as the Ghost of Hamlet's Father, his last role before he died." Mr. Morgan smiled and walked over to his cart. "Good day, everybody! I'll be back later!" And so, Mr. Morgan left the library. Brad then walked over to Clarence. There was fear in Brad's eyes as he walked over.

"What if he's right?" Clarence starred with his cold eyes at the actor's son. "What if this theater is haunted?" Clarence grabbed Brad by the neck, not by the shirt as he had done with Basil or Mr. Morgan. "We can't cause Basil pain if his grampa's ghost is haunting this place!"

"I'll show you what I think of your haunting, you pompous little obnoxious, spoiled brat!" Clarence let go of Brad's neck, grabbed a candlestick from a nearby table and was about to walk over to the table that Basil was unconsciously laying on when Biffy entered, this time costumed in the red suit that Claudius wore in the wedding scene. Clarence looked at Biffy, groaned, put down the candlestick and then picked up a clipboard. "Biffy Goldstein, Kimmie McAdams, Lee Ping…" Clarence looked at Steve's name. He had some difficulty pronouncing the name 'Steve' which seemed impossible. "Whoever is playing Polonius, Chaz Moneranian, Zed Point Conasty, Irwin Dexter, all of the people playing lords and attendants, Ed McFeeney, Lynch Lemmon and Chopper McNeal, you're all needed on stage for the next scene." As everyone left the library, the only people left were Cam, Holger, the unconscious Basil, Giuseppe, Brad and Tina As Clarence looked at how few people were in the room, a grin appeared on his face. He looked at Brad, that devilish grin still on his face. He reached for the candlestick. "Now to making things look like accidents!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome back, gang. Well, here is the second scene of the first act. For the first half it is from Biffy's point of view and for the second half it is from Lee's. Enjoy.**

**Act I Scene II**

Everyone needed walked onto the stage. Biffy's eyes widened when instead of a front gate he saw the stage having a really impressive throne room on it. While having a small amount of things on stage, it told Biffy where this scene was. As Biffy turned his head to look at Kimmie, he turned red a bit. She was in a wedding dress. No wonder he was turning red. Good thing Basil was unconscious otherwise he would have made jokes when Biffy came back into the library.

Biffy was aware that something was wrong. He hadn't been in control of his body in the previous scene he just walked onstage and walked offstage, not of his own free will. Biffy didn't even know Claudius' lines but he was sure that whatever had forced him to walk against his will would put the words in his mouth. He was right.

"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death the memory be green, and that it us befitted to bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom to be contracted in one brow of woe, yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him, together with remembrance of ourselves." Biffy had only a vague idea of what the words were about. Claudius had become king, not Prince Hamlet. Biffy might have been smart but even he was confused by Shakespeare's writing. "Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, the imperial jointress to this warlike state, have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy, with an auspicious and dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole, taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd your better wisdoms, which have freely gone with this affair long." Biffy was thinking of those words. He was disturbed as he realized that Claudius was marrying his brother's widow. And he was playing both brothers! This would be interesting for him. "For all, our thanks." This would be really interesting for him. "Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras, holding a weak supposal of our worth, or thinking by our late dear brother's death our state to be disjoint and out of frame, colleague with the dream of his advantage, he hath not fail'd to pester us with message, importing the surrender of those lands lost by his father, with all bonds of law, to our most valiant brother." Biffy didn't have a time to take a breath. He couldn't remember the last time he talked for such a long time, but then again he wasn't in control. "So much for him." Who was in control? "Now for ourself and for this time of meeting: thus much the business is: we have here writ to Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras, who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears of this his nephew's purpose, to suppress his further gait herein, in that the levies, the lists and full proportions, are all made out of his subject: and we here dispatch you, good Cornelius, and you Voltimand, for bearers of this greeting to old Norway, giving to you no further personal power to business with the king, more than the scope of these delated articles allow." Biffy starred at the two playing Cornelius and Voltimand: Irwin as Cornelius and Zed as Voltimand. For some reason he ended up thinking of social Darwinism but he had no idea why. "Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty."

"In that and all things will we show our duty." Irwin and Zed both spoke in unison. It sounded weird, not just to Biffy but to everyone, even the ones speaking.

"We doubt it nothing: heartily farewell." Both Irwin and Zed left the stage. Biffy hoped he wouldn't have to hear any more weirdness of those two talking in unison. Against his own free will, Biffy's head turned to look over at Chaz. "And now, Laertes, what's the news with you?" Biffy thought for a moment. Laertes? Wasn't that the name of a character from 'The Odyssey?' "You told us of some suit, what is't, Laertes?" He was sure he heard the name before. "You cannot speak of reason to the Dane, and loose your voice: what wouldst thou beg, Laertes, that shall not be my offer, not thy asking?" Biffy stopped thinking about it. He would remember eventually. But still, why did a Danish person have a Greek name. "The head is not more native to the heart, the hand more instrumental to the mouth, than is the throne of Denmark to thy father." Biffy was really starting to wish he could take a breath. "What wouldst thou have, Laertes?"

"My dread lord, your leave and favour to return to France, from whence though willingly I came to Denmark, to show my duty in your coronation, yet now, I must confess, that duty done, my thoughts and wishes bend again toward France and bow them to your gracious leave and pardon." Biffy could only wonder if Chaz understood what he was saying. Basil had mentioned Legendre being an expert when it came to voodoo. Barrage had even threatened Basil with Legendre using a voodoo doll on him. There was no doubt about it. Legendre was controlling everyone's body and voice.

"Have you your father's leave?" Biffy turned his head to look over at Steve. "What says Polonius?"

"He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave by laboursome petition, and at last upon his will I seal'd my hard consent: I do beseech you, give him leave to go." Biffy doubted even Steve understood what he was saying. Or did he? The words although seemingly ancient they seemed to be understandable if one paid attention.

"Take thy fair hour, Laertes, time be thine, and thy best graces spend it at thy will!" Biffy then turned his head to look over at Lee, dressed completely in black. "But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son—"

"A little more than kin, and less than kind." Lee's acting didn't seem wooden here. It was obvious to Biffy that this was more of Legendre's voodoo than Lee's talent.

"How is it that the clouds still hang on you?" Biffy understood that question. It meant that Hamlet was sad and Claudius wanted to know why.

"Not so, my lord, I am too much i' the sun." Well, he had no idea what that meant.

"Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark." Biffy thought Kimmie's voice sounded beautiful when she spoke Shakespeare. He wondered if that was just his thinking or if that was true. He hoped it was true. "Do not for ever with thy vailed lids seek for thy noble father in the dust: thou know'st 'tis common, all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity."

"Ay, madam, it is common." Biffy wondered why Basil said that Hamlet had some of the longest lines in the play. Lee's lines were rather short.

"If it be, why seems it so particular with thee?" That was good. That rhyme was good.

"Seems, madam!" Lee turned his head to look over at Biffy and Kimmie. "Nay it is, I know not 'seems.' Biffy would have sighed but he couldn't with Legendre controlling him like a puppet. Basil was right, Hamlet did have some long lines and he was going to hear the first of them. "'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, nor customary suits of solemn black, nor windy suspiration of forced breath, no, nor the fruitful river in the eye, nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, that can denote me truly: these indeed seem, for they are actions that a man might play: but I have that within which passeth show, these but trappings and the suits of woe."

"'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, to give these mourning duties to your father: but, you must know, your father lost a father, that father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound in filial obligation for some term to do obsequious sorrow: but to persever in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness, 'tis unmanly grief, it shows a will most incorrect to heaven, a heart unfortified, a mind impatient, an understanding simple and unschool'd: for what we know must be and is as common as any the most vulgar thing to sense, why should we in our peevish opposition take it to heart?" Biffy was happy that Basil hadn't been chosen to play Hamlet. It just would have been so awkward to say those things to him. "Fie!" Really awkward. "'Tis a fault to heaven, a fault against the dead, a fault to nature, to reason most absurd: whose common theme is death of fathers and who still hath cried, from the first corse till he that died to-day, 'This must be so.'" It just wouldn't have been awkward but there was a chance it could have been harsh to Basil, whose dad Cassius Hagen had died back in January. "We pray you, throw to earth this unprevailing woe, and think of us as of a father: for let the world take note, you are the most immediate to our throne, and with no less nobility of love than that which dearest father bears his son, do I impart toward you." Bify was disgusted. He was pretty sure everyone else was. How could such a person be like this? "For your intent in going back to school in Wittenberg, it is most retrograde to our desire: and we bessech you, bend you to remain here, in the cheer and comfort of our eye, our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son."

"Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet: I pray thee, stay with us, go not to Wittenberg." Kimmie's voice sounded sympathetic. She could be sympathetic and pleading when she could. Biffy knew that for a fact.

"I shall in all my best obey you, madam." Lee's head was no longer turned to look at Biffy or Kimmie. Legendre was turning their necks as he pleased, causing Biffy to worry if he were to accidentally break their necks.

"Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply: be as ourself in Denmark." Those words actually sounded kind. And Biffy had been expecting that Claudius would be the type of character to hate. Biffy then felt his head turn to look at Kimmie. "Madam, come, this gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet sits smiling to my heart: in grace whereof, no jocund health that Denmark drinks to-day, but the great cannon to the clouds shall tell, and the king's rouse the heavens all bruit again, re-speaking earthly thunder." Biffy felt himself start to walk. Being nothing more but a puppet was really annoying. "Come away." Everyone but Lee left the stage. Had Basil been conscious and standing not far away offstage to whisper the lines to him and Lee not being controlled like a puppet with words being put in his mouth, he would have been more comfortable. Lee didn't think that anyone here was comfortable with being controlled like a remote-control car.

"O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt thaw and resolve in a dew!" Lee had a feeling this was the beginning of a long monologue. "Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" He was right. "O God!" That's what Lee wanted to say with the agony of being a living puppet. He wondered why Basil never talked about it. "God!" There was probably a good reason why Basil never talked about being subjected to Legendre's voodoo and it surprised him that Barrage would even allow this. "How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! Ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden, that grows to seed, things rank and gross in nature possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two: so excellent a king, that was, to this, Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother that he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly." Lee remembered Basil talking about Hyperion once, a Greek god and so he understood the comparison. "Heaven and earth! Must I remember? Why she would hang on him, as if increase of appetite had grown by what it fed on: and yet, within a month, let me not think on't, frailty, thy name is woman!" That last bit was a saying Lee was all too familiar with, he just didn't know the origin of it. Now he did. "A little month, or ere those shoes were old with which she follow'd my poor father's body, like Niobe, all tears: why she, even she, O, God!" Lee had no idea who Niobe was. He'd have to ask Basil that if he had regained consciousness, "A beast, that wants discourse of reason, would have mourn'd longer, married with my uncle, my father's brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules: within a month: ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears had left the flushing in her gallad eyes, she married." Lee understood the use of comparing the characters in the play to characters to mythology. A lot of people knew about the myths, even if some were obscure. He was starting to wonder why the sudden switch to Roman mythology. "O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not nor it cannot come to good: but break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue." Lee turned his head as Ed, Lynch and Chopper walked on stage. Basil would have used the term 'motley crew' but Lee wasn't sure that would correctly describe these three.

"Hail to your lordship!" Lee wondered how much of that was the use of voodoo and how much of it was actually Ed's talent.

"I am glad to see you well: Horatio, or I do forget myself."

"The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever." Lee took note of this. So Hamlet was friends with non-royalty. Very interesting.

"Sir, my good friend, I'll change that name with you: and what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio, Marecllus?" Lee found it a bit odd though that Ed was playing Horatio. Someone who wasn't a member of the Down With Lee Club wouldn't have seemed weird. Lynch started to speak, his short, interrupted line that had been written as such.

"My good lord-"

"I am very glad to see you." Lee was happy that this was the voodoo giving him the expressions. His acting had been criticized. "God even, sir. But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?"

"A truant disposition, good my lord." Lee had no idea what that meant. If only Basil hadn't been unconscious so he could have explained everything.

"I would not hear your enemy say so, nor shall you do mine ear that violence, to make it truster of your own report against yourself: I know you are no truant." Lee understood that. Although he was guessing Chopper had no idea what was going on. So why had he been brought along? "But what is your affair in Elsinore? We'll teach you to drink deep eye you depart."

"My lord, I came to see your father's funeral."

"I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow student, I think it was to see my mother's wedding."

"Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon." Lee found it to be disturbing. Just how far apart were the dates between the funeral and the wedding?

"Thrift, thrift, Horatio!" Sounded like something Basil would challenge Brad to say five times fast. "The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!" Lee turned his head, not of his own free will though. "My father! Methinks I see my father."

"Where, my lord?"

"In my mind's eye, Horatio."

"I saw him once, he was a goodly king."

"He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again." That was really moving. Lee wondered if Basil had such a feeling for his own late parent.

"My lord, I think I saw him yesternight." Lee once again felt his head turn to look at Ed.

"Saw? Who?"

"My lord, the king your father."

"The king my father!" The surprise in Lee's voice was real. He hadn't gotten that far with reading the play when he was called onstage.

"Season your admiration for awhile with an attent ear, till I may deliver, upon witness of these gentlemen, this marvel to you."

"For God's love, let me hear."

"Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, in the dead vast and middle of the night, been thus encounter'd." Lee couldn't imagine Chopper fitting the description of gentlemen and started to wonder if the term 'motley crew' did apply to these three. "A figure like your father, armed at point exactly, cap-a-pe, appears before them, and with solemn march goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk'd by their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes, within his truncheons length, whilst they, distilled almost to jelly with the act of fear, stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me in dreadful secrecy impact they did, and I with them the third night kept the watch, where, as they had deliver'd, both in time, form of the thing, each word made true and good, the apparition comes: I knew your father, these hands are not more like.

"But where was this?" After Lee's line, Lynch finally spoke. Not of his own free will of course.

"My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd."

"Did you not speak to it?" Lee really wished he had read further past the first page. It was just unfortunate the all the copies of Hamlet had been kept together on one bookshelf.

"My lord, I did, but answer made it none: yet once methought it lifted up its head and did address itself to motion, like as it would speak, but even then the morning cock crew loud, and at the sound it shrunk in haste away, and vanish'd from our sight." Lee was surprised Ed wasn't out of breath. He felt out of breath when he spoke these long, almost monologue-like lines.

"'Tis very strange."

"As I do live, my hounour'd lord, 'tis true, and we didn't think it writ down in our duty to let you know of it." Ed's voice didn't sound any different from usual, but for some reason it sounded different to Lee? Was this the voodoo at work?

"Indeed, indeed, sirs but this troubles me." Lee placed a finger on his chin. "Hold you the watch to-night?"

"We do, my lord." Lynch and Chopper speaking in unison was equally as weird as when Irwin and Zed spoke in unison. Lee wasn't sure why but it just seemed unnatural.

"Arm'd, say you?"

"Arm'd my lord." Once again they spoke in unison, like a couple of mind controlled twins.

"From top to toe?"

"My lord, from head to foot." They were starting to sound creepy. Lee then turned his head to look at Ed.

"Then saw you not his face?"

"O, yes, my lord, he wore his beaver up." Lee would definitely need some explanations from Basil about what all this meant. It was starting to sound like gibberish to him.

"What, look'd he frowningly?"

"A countenance more in sorrow than anger."

"Pale or red?" Ed shook his head.

"Nay, very pale."

"And fix'd his eyes upon you?"

"Most constantly." Lee let out a sad sigh. Not of his own free will, but he would have even he wasn't being controlled.

"I would have been there."

"It would have much amazed you."

"Very like, very like." Lee nodded in agreement. "Stay'd it long?"

"While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred."

"Longer, longer." Once again Lynch and Chopper spoke in unison. Lee had some understanding about what was going on. He just wasn't sure he was right. Ed then turned to look at Lynch and Chopper.

"Not when I saw't." He then turned to look back at Lee.

"His beard was grizzled, no?" Biffy had been wearing a fake beard as the Ghost. It was perhaps one of the reasons why Basil said Biffy would be showing up in his nightmares.

"It was, as I have seen it in his life, a sable silver'd." That was definitely the color of the fake beard.

"I will watch to-night, perchance 'twil walk again." Lee lifted his head in wonder. This was more of Legendre's control over him than anything else.

"I warrant it will."

"If it assume my noble father's person, I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape and bid me hold my peace." Once again, Lee was starting to be confused about the dialogue. He was starting to wonder what it meant. "I pray you all, if you have hitherto conceal'd this sight, let it be tenable in your silence still, and whatsoever else shall hap to-night, give it an understanding, but no tongue: I will requite your loves." Lee had lost all sense of understanding what he was saying. It wasn't even him he was just a human puppet. "So, fare you well: upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve, I'll visit you."

"Our duty to your honour." This time Ed, Lynch and Chopper all spoke in unison causing things to seem even creepier.

"Your loves, as mine to you: farewell." Ed, Lynch and Chopper left the stage. Once again Lee was alone onstage. "My father's spirit in arms! All is not well, I doubt some foul play: would the night come! Till then sit still, my soul: foul deeds will rise, though all the earth o'erwhelm them to men's eyes." Lee then left the stage. No longer under the control of Legendre's voodoo, Lee let out a breath. He then walked to the library. As he did he wondered. Had Basil regain consciousness? When would he next be under Legendre's control for his entertainment? If only he knew.


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome back, gang. Not much this time, just going straight to the story. Enjoy.**

**Trapped**

Lee passed Tina as he waked to the library and she walked to the stage. Also headed for the stage were Chaz and Steve but Lee only noticed Tina. He just wished he could talk to her without Basil being present. Ever since the hair incident the only times he had talked to Tina was either when Basil was present or when any of them were in a dangerous situation.

Dangerous situation? They were all in a situation and with the dragon around they were in danger. Lee had gotten him and the other tenth graders out of the Green Apple Splat Factory but he'd need Basil's help to get everyone out of this. He must have known Legendre and Clarence's tricks so Basil would know things Lee didn't. Also, with one of Xanadu's former students it would be easier than it was at the Green Apple Splat Factory.

As Lee walked into the library, he saw that Basil was still unconscious and… Clarence was trapped under a bookshelf, a bookshelf that had been against a wall. Next to the bookshelf stood Brad, looking down at Clarence.

"See, there is a ghost!" Lee had never believed Brad to be the superstitious type but considering that a bookshelf that had been against the wall had Clarence pinned to the floor, Lee would believe in ghosts too! And besides that, the crazy things he'd seen would make Lee prepared for anything.

"If you want to live to go to college or university get this blasted thing off me!" Brad laughed in response to Clarence's threat.

"You're in no position to make threats." Clarence glared. He gave a whistle and in a matter of seconds outside the door appeared the Dragon. Brad swallowed in fear and looked back at Clarence. "You make a good point." Brad kneeled down and started to attempt to lift the bookshelf. He failed miserably. "Gee, what do they make these things out of?" Clarence then looked over at Chopper, sitting in a chair with his feet on a table, not the table Basil was on though.

"You!" Chopper glared in response. "The only real reason you're here is as a hired thug now get over here and get this thing off me!" Chopper didn't move. "Hannibal, sic-" Sure enough Chopper quickly got over to the bookshelf and helped Brad lift it off Clarence.

Lee had been listening the whole time. Hired thug? Chopper? Made sense. As he walked over to the table where Basil had been placed, he saw Margarita sitting at the head of the table, ironically where Basil's head was.

"Has he-"

"No, but he's been quoting Shakespeare." Lee shook his head. That was a serious case of Shakespeare on the brain. "It's quite entertaining but I'm really worried about what will happen when he's needed onstage and he still hasn't regained consciousness." Margarita looked over at Clarence, so did everyone else at the table: Cam, Brandy, Holger, Greta, Biffy and Kimmie. Clarence was busy cleaning his baton, truncheon club whatever it was!

"Let's not think about that." Brandy couldn't imagine what Clarence would do. She had once heard Basil learn from someone on the phone that Clarence had put a student in a wheelchair. It was probably best that no one think about what Clarence would do. Everyone then looked over at the dragon, still outside the door, starring at everyone.

"I'd worry less about Captain Kill and more about the giant four-legged tatzelwurm!" Biffy swallowed nervously as the dragon starred at them. Good thing his cat wasn't here, the dragon would probably try to eat her!

"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears, I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." Everyone then looked at the unconscious Basil. He had started quoting Shakespeare again.

Lee shook his head and sat down. He had to think of a way to get them out of the theater. But how? With Clarence and the dragon with the unfortunate added bonus of Chopper, who seemed to be happy to make people fear him again even though it was the dragon they were scared of! Could they go down through the tunnels? Was there an entrance to the tunnels in the theater? There just seemed to be so many questions. As if things weren't difficult enough with his own problems.

They were trapped. Lee couldn't go in through the vents here. The only vent here was so far up that Lee would have had to climb a bookshelf to get to it. And if it weren't for Clarence on guard duty he'd be able to climb a bookshelf.

To make things even more complicated with him as Hamlet he had a pretty good idea he was in most of the play. It seemed like everything was against him here. They were trapped and there was no way out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy this and tell me your opinions on the Detentionaire characters in the scenes from the play. Also this chapter is from only Lee's point of view. Oh, and this is probably late but for the costumes look at Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation for reference. You can watch it on YouTube with the two acts in two videos, or you can goy buy the movie. It's the easiest film adaptation of the play to find. Enjoy**

**Act I Scene IV**

The set was an armory with a window. On the stage stood Lee, Ed and Lynch in their respective costumes.

"The air bites shrewdly, it is very cold." Lee's lines might have spoken of cold but he was thinking of how hot it had been in the library and how happy he was to be onstage where it was quite cool. The reason it had been so hot in the library was because the dragon had begun breathing blue fire, something Basil had never mentioned in conversation.

"It is a nipping and an air." Lee understood that Horatio's line was in agreement with Hamlet's. It was easy enough.

"What hour now?" Lee had started to understand the words of the play. So much for needing Basil's help!

"I think it lacks of twelve." Lee understood the words as easily as Basil. As he listened to the words, while under the control of Legendre's voodoo, Lee wondered if there was something more to this than just entertainment for Legendre and Barrage, and Mrs. Hagen teaching the students to appreciate Shakespeare.

"No, it is struck." Lee couldn't help but wonder, why bring something as dangerous as the dragon here. He hadn't seen it do anything dangerous but the blue fire breathing didn't make it seem friendly and Basil had described the dragon as being a force to be reckoned with.

"Indeed?" Ed turned his head to look at Lee. "I heard it not: then it draws near the season wherein the spirit held his wont to walk." The sound of trumpets were heard offstage, being played by two of the zombified former Xanadu staff members, and the sound of two cannons were fired, not real cannons but a recording that was coming from where Legendre sat. As soon as those noises were heard, the sounds of hooting could be heard from the rafters. Lee, Ed and Lynch all looked up towards the rafters with nervous looks on their faces. Legendre, Barrage and Mrs. Hagen all starred intently, hoping the same thing the three students were hoping: that the owls wouldn't come flying down angrily. They waited three minutes and when nothing came down from the rafters, the scene continued with Lee, Ed and Lynch continuing against their wills. "What does this mean, my lord?"

"The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, keeps wassail, and the swaggering up-spring reels, and, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, the kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out the triumph of his pledge." Lee wasn't thinking about the lines. He wasn't thinking about the dragon. He was thinking of what would happen if the owls were to come down angrily at whoever was onstage.

"Is it a custom?" Ed as Horatio's question would have been ignored if Lee hadn't been under Legendre's control. He was wondering about the owls. Basil had once joked about owls but knowing Basil's fear of birds there was probably a good reason Basil feared them.

"Ay, marry, is't: and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour'd in the breach than observance." Lee had a feeling this would be another monologue. Another long monologue! "This heavy-headed revel east and west makes us traduced and tax'd of other nations: they clep us drunkards, and within swinish phrase soil our addition, and indeed it takes from our achievements, though perform'd at height, the pith and marrow of our attribute." Lee was right about the monologue and he was wrong about not needing Basil's help with understanding the lines. "So, oft it chances in particular men, that for some vicious mole of nature in them, as, in their birth, wherein they are not guilty, since nature cannot choose his origin, by the o'ergrowth of some complexion, oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason, or by some habit that too much o'er-leavens the form of plausive manners, that these men, carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, being nature's livery, or fortune's star, their virtues else, be they as pure as grace, as infinite as man may undergo, shall in the general censure take corruption from that particular fault: the dream of eale doth all the noble substance of a doubt to his own scandal."

"Look, my lord, it comes!" Ed pointed at Biffy, costumed as the Ghost, walking onto the stage.

"Angels and ministers of grace defend us!" Basil had been saying this monologue when Lee had to come on stage. Lee had only heard the first half. Fortunately, the words were only being placed in his mouth since he was being used as a puppet. "Be thou a spirit of health or a goblin damn'd, bring thee with airs from heaven or blasts from hell, be thy intents charitable or wicked, thou comest in such a questionale shape that I will speak to thee: I'll call thee Hamlet, king, father, royal Dane: O, answer me!" Lee was confused. Two characters with the name 'Hamlet?' Basil had never mentioned this when talking about Shakespeare. "Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell why they canonized bones, hearsed in death, have burst their cerements, why the sepulcher, wherein we saw thee quietly inurn'd, hath opened his ponderous and marble jaws, to cast thee up again, what may this mean, that thou, dead corse, again in complete steel revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon, making night hideous, and we fools of nature so horridly to shake our disposition with thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? Say, why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?" Biffy beckoned to Lee.

"It beckons you to go away with it, as if it some impartment did desire to you alone." Ed's line was a statement of the obvious but was probably for those who couldn't see the action from the back row of a balcony.

"Look, with what courteous action it waves you to a more removed ground: but do not go with it." Lee turned his head to look at Lynch. It might have been against his will but he was able to move his eyes of his own accord. He was looking at Lynch's hat and wondering why he was the only one who wasn't wearing something on his head.

"No, by no means." Lee didn't turn his head to look at Ed. If he had free will at the moment he would have.

"It will not speak, then I will follow it." Not hat, no helmet. He felt long the odd guy out.

"Do not, my lord." Lee then turned his head to look at Ed.

"Why, what should be the fear?" Lee wished he could sigh. Once again there was a long line coming. "I do not set my life in a pin's fee, and for my soul, what can it do to that, being a thing as immortal as that?" Biffy once again beckoned. "It waves me forth again: I'll follow it."

"What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o'er his base into the sea, and there assume some other horrible form, which might deprive your sovereignty of reason and draw you into madness?" Lee starred at Ed. It was just so hard to take him seriously with that furry hat. He would have laughed if he could. "Think of it: the very place puts toys of desperation, without more motive, into every brain that looks so many fathoms to the sea and hears it roar beneath." Biffy continued to beckon.

"It waves me still." Lee moved forward towards Biffy. "Go on, I'll follow thee." Lee started to walk towards Biffy until Lynch grabbed him by the arm.

"You shall not go, my lord." Lee turned to look at Lynch.

"Hold off your hands." Ed walked towards Lee.

"Be ruled, you shall not go." Ed sounded like he was pleading. If it weren't for the voodoo, Ed never would have been that way naturally. Ed grabbed Lee's other arm.

"My fate cries out, and makes each petty artery in this body as hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve." Once again Greek mythology being referenced. "Still I am call'd. Unhand me, gentlemen." Ed and Lynch let go of Lee's arms. "By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me!" Lee held up the prop sword he was holding. "I say, away!" Lee then looked back at Biffy. "Go on, I'll follow thee!" Biffy and Lee left the stage. Leaving Ed and Lynch to finish the scene.


	12. Chapter 12

**Welcome back, gang. Basil regains consciousness in this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Act I Scene V**

Lee and Biffy walked back onto the stage. This time the set was made to look like a forest. Biffy turned to look at Lee and Lee stopped walking.

"Where wilt thou lead me?" Lee understood this. There were times when the words made sense and times when they didn't. "Speak, I'll go no further."

"Mark me." Lee was shocked. Biffy's voice sounded booming and operatic. Did Legendre have that much power with his voodoo that he could not just put words in people's mouths but change their voices as well?

"I will."

"My hour is almost come, when I to sulphurous and tormenting flames must render up myself." Lee actually felt sympathy for the character. Legendre couldn't control someone's feelings he had figured that out, so the feelings of sympathy Lee had for the character of the Ghost were real.

"Alas, poor ghost!" Lee's voice was filled with the actual sympathy he felt.

"Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing to what I shall unfold."

"Speak, I am bound to hear."

"So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear."

"What?"

"I am thy father's spirit, doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, and for the day confined to fast in fires, till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away." Lee looked up at Biffy. Everything about this scene made him seem otherworldly, more intimidating than usual no wonder Basil said he'd have nightmares. Biffy actually looked like a ghost! "But that I am forbid to tell the secrets of my prison-house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, thy knotted and combined locks to part and each particular hair to stand on end, like the quills upon the fretful propentine: but this eternal blazon must not be to ears of flesh and blood." Sounded like actually being guilty instead of having been framed. "List, list, O, list!" Lee had no choice but to listen with Legendre in control. "If thou didst ever thy dear father love-"

"O God!"

"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."

"Murder!" Lee could not help but think of the vulture that had tormented Basil. It was just that choice of naming.

"Murder most foul, as in the best it is, but this most foul, strange and unnatural." Murder had been strange and unnatural. Going so far from home just after one person. The situation Basil was in had been frightening and now it seemed that they were all in the same situation, not individual ones.

"Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge."

"I find thee apt, and duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, wouldst thou not stir in this." Again Lee was lost. "Now, Hamlet, hear: 'tis given out, sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me, so the whole ear of Denmark is by a forged process of my death rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown."

"O my prophetic soul!" The shock on Lee's face wasn't fake it was real. He had not expected this. "My uncle!" Claudius had killed his brother?

"Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power so to seduce!" Lee swallowed. There was sometimes that he could do things of his own accord. The fear and shock he was in was real. He felt the feelings his character was feeling. It felt so strange. "Won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen: O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!" It got worse. Lee had no idea such a story like this could exist. A woman marrying her brother-in-law of her own free will? It was not right! "From me, whose love was of that dignity that it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage, and to decline upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor to those of mine! But virtue, as it never will be removed, though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven, so lust, though to a radiant angel link'd, will sate itself in a celestial bed, and prey on garbage. But, soft! Methinks I scent the morning air, brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard, my custom always of the afternoon, upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, with juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of my ear did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man that swift as quicksilver it courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body, and with a sudden vigour doth posset and curd, like eager droppings into milk, the thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine, and a most instant tetter bark'd about, most lazar-like with vile and loathsome crust, all my smooth body. Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd: cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd, no reckoning made, but sent to my account with all my imperfections on my hand: O, horrible! O, horrible! Most horrible! If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not, let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest. But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught: leave to heaven and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, to prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once! The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, and 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire: adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me." And with that, Biffy left the stage. That was a lot for Lee to take in her but he listened intently. He was understanding this play greatly.

"O all you host of heaven!" Lee looked up, of his own free will. Legendre must have been losing his hold if Lee could have done that of his own free will. "O earth! What else? And I shall couple hell? O, fie? Hold, hold, my heart, and you my sinews, grow not instant old, but bear me stiffly up. Remember thee! Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat in this distracted globe. Remember thee! Yea, from the table of my memory I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, all saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, that youth and observation copied there, and thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, unmix'd with base matter: yes, by heaven! O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! My tables, meet it is I set it down, that one may smile, and smile, and be a villain, at least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark. So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word, it is 'Adieu, adieu! Remember me.' I have sworn 't."

"My lord, my lord, -" Lynch and Ed were offstage. They were both speaking in unison. Even though Lee didn't turn to look at them he still found it creepy.

"Lord Hamlet. –"Lynch was speaking that time.

"Heaven secure him!" That was Ed.

"So be it." Lee said the lines, almost muttering but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Hillo, ho, ho, my lord!" Those words sounded so strange coming out of Ed's mouth. His voice hadn't changed at all. Not like Biffy's.

"Hillo, ho, ho, boy! Come, bird, come!" On the other hand, these words sounded strange coming out of his own mouth. Ed and Lynch walked on stage and the scene continued. At the end of it, Lee, Ed and Lynch walked offstage and walked towards the library. They found Basil, once again conscious, standing happily with a sly grin on his face. Basil's eyes were on the dragon. He was thinking of a way to get past it, Lee could tell. As Basil's head turned to look over at Clarence, also thinking of a way to get past of, he noticed that Clarence was talking to Brad. Basil's eyes widened in horror as he noticed something he had never noticed before.

"Are you two related?" Lee, Tina and a few others looked at Clarence and Brad. Basil's question was a good one. The two did bear some resemblance to each other, Clarence looked like an older Brad with different hair and eye color but the resemblance was unmistakable. Brad and Clarence both looked at Basil. The fact the two resembled each other was unnerving enough but the fact that both of them were starring at him was bad enough.

"Of course not!" Both spoke in unison, causing Basil to fall back into an armchair. First Legendre, bringing his voodoo along no doubt, now Clarence and Brad looking like one another? Things were getting strange.


	13. Chapter 13

**Welcome back, gang. Basil is no longer unconscious so I get him back into the story. Enjoy.**

**The Ghost**

Basil walked towards the door. Quickly, he found himself blocked by the dragon, staring at him with eyes that looked hungry. Clarence soon came up behind him and tapped Basil on the shoulder with his baton. Basil turned around and looked up into the cold blue eyes of Xanadu's vice principal. Behind Clarence were Chopper and Brad. He didn't believe one bit Brad and Clarence weren't related. If they weren't then it was quite the coincidence they bore a resemblance to one another.

"Going somewhere?" Basil swallowed. Being killed by the Dragon or beaten to a pulp by Clarence… he wasn't sure which would be worse. He then nodded. "Well, just because you lowlifes are being given fifteen minute breaks between acts doesn't mean you can leave!" Basil thought for a moment. Then an idea came to him.

"Look a distraction!" Basil pointed towards a wall. Sure enough, Brad ended up turning his head to look. Clarence however didn't. Chopper didn't even turn his head either, he must have had that one used on him to many times and grew wise to it. When Brad realized he fell for that trick a second time, he looked around to make sure no one had noticed. Unfortunately, everyone had noticed. The fact that Clarence hadn't fallen for that trick was what everyone was paying attention to. Clarence clenched his fist and threw a punch at Basil. Basil ducked and Clarence's fist quite literally went through the door. It was stuck.

Lee grinned when he saw this. There was something familiar about this: the time a 15th grader got his fist stuck in a locker. Clarence was in the exact same situation. As Clarence shouted at Chopper and Brad to help him get his hand free the door opened, causing the dragon and Basil to move out of the way and Clarence to have to walk backwards as the door opened. In entered Sondra Hagen, starring in disbelief at Clarence's predicament.

"You certainly missed your calling as a library guard." Clarence glared at Sondra's comment. This was hardly the time to make witty jokes. He had his fist stuck in a door. How was this funny? "And might I remind you not to harm any of these fine students." Clarence tried to pull his arm out of the door. This wasn't the time for him to be berated for his temper. Sondra looked around. "Where is my son?"

"I swear I didn't feed him to Hannibal!" Chopper and Brad pulled Clarence's arm out of the door. The former prison guard let out a sigh of pain. Why did it have to be made out of wood? He was sure he had slivers in his hand.

"Well then if he's out during the fifteen minute break, then everyone else should be too." Sondra looked down at the dragon. "And keep him in here." Clarence sighed.

"Get outta here!" Clarence waved his hand at the door. "All of ya!" Chopper and Brad walked towards the door as everyone else left the library only to be stopped by Clarence. "Except you two!" Chopper and Brad both looked at Clarence. Neither of them would get anytime to relax.

Lee, Tina, Cam, Holger and Biffy all searched for Basil. They didn't look together and they needed Basil to explain the lines to them.

As Lee looked for Basil he started to wonder if the key he had gotten could be of any use here. It had been of use at A. Nigma and the Green Apple Splat Factory. So why wouldn't it be useful at this theater? Although there was only a chance it would work Lee would take that chance.

As Lee walked through a hall, he started to feel a chill. It had suddenly gotten cold. Very cold! What was going on here?

Suddenly, Lee heard the sound of footsteps. He turned around to see a man dressed in… Lee wasn't sure what he was dressed in: ten century, eleventh century clothing? The man in question, Lee had seen a picture of in the entrance of the theater. The problem was that the picture had a date beneath it. The date was 1983 and the man in the picture looked exactly the same way the person did here. What was the man's name? Preston Hagen.

Lee starred in disbelief as the ghost walked towards him, finally passing right through him. Lee turned around as the ghost walked away. It seemed that Mr. Morgan had been telling the truth. This wasn't the superstitious belief of an old man this was real.

Instantly, Lee followed the ghost. He had a hunch that if he were to follow the ghost, then Lee would find Basil. The logic being that since this was the ghost of Basil's grandfather then the ghost would lead Lee to Basil.

As Lee followed the ghost, he started to think about this. Was this in some way connected to the prank? Basil had recognized the prank song and he didn't seem happy to hear it. Lee could only wonder how and why Basil was connected to the prank. He had hidden the secret of his disfigurement for a few weeks before Lee had started to suspect Basil was hiding something and now there was one more mystery to Basil. This time it was connected to the mystery that Lee was trying to solve.

The ghost vanished as it reached a set of stairs. Lee stopped and looked around. Where was it now?

"He's like the Tatzelwurm!" Lee couldn't believe it. Here one moment, gone the next. Why were those who helped him out so quick when it came to coming and going? Lee walked up the stairs, continuing his search for Basil.

As Tina searched for Basil, she only wondered if things would ever be back to normal between her and Lee. Their relationship had slowly become strained ever since the prank. She had crushed on him since childhood but since Brad had asked her out and her date with him been ruined… Brad?

That brought Tina back to looking for Basil. That all just made her wonder why did Brad hate Basil. Brad hating Basil made no sense. Brad was a nice guy, so was Basil, the fact that those two were enemies just seemed so odd to Tina. Things had gotten strange ever since the prank and Basil had arrived at A. Nigma when things were getting stranger. The cleaners with electric collars was one thing that was strange but who would believe her? Who would have believed Lee? Who would have believed Lynch? Who would have believed anyone who had seen that sight?

Suddenly Tina heard footsteps. She turned around to see someone who she had only seen in a picture walking towards her. The picture had been in the theater's entrance and here was what Mr. Morgan had talked about walking towards her. Preston Hagen's ghost was walking towards her and Tina wasn't going to doubt what she was seeing.

As the ghost passed right through Tina, she felt a chill come over her. Tina followed the ghost and stopped when the ghost vanished. The ghost had vanished when it had come to a set of stairs.

Tina thought for a moment. Now just what was going on? First, a cyborg principal and now a ghost? What was next?

Tina started to walk up the stairs. She had a feeling that she'd find Basil at the top of these stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

**Welcome back, gang. An original idea for 'Stranger in a Strange School' would have been the episodes from Basil's point of view with Basil being the one guy who was never noticed. I'm happy I didn't go that route. Enjoy.**

**No Escape Plan**

Both Lee and Tina had found themselves looking at each other at the top of the stairs. Two sets of stairs that both lead to each other and they brought those two together. Lee was about to say something when Basil walked between them.

"Nope, not that way!" Lee and Tina both looked at Basil. Where had he come from? They both looked towards an open door and saw the roof of the theater. "I am not jumping from roof to roof. I'm not afraid of heights but depth." They watched as Basil walked down a hall, still talking not to them but to himself, not even noticing Lee or Tina. Instantly they followed him, finding that he walked pretty quickly and had to run just to catch up to him.

"Basil!" Basil turned around and looked at Lee and Tina. He really had no idea they were there.

"Lee? Tina? What are you doing here? Aren't you two trapped in the library?" Lee and Tina both starred at Basil. How could he have not noticed them when he walked past them?

"Actually, we were let out." Lee looked at Basil's right hand. His fingers were twitching uncontrollably.

"Why would that violence happy goon let anyone out of that place of his own free will?"

"Your mom told him to let everyone out for the fifteen minute break." Basil laughed at Tina's answer.

"No really." Lee and Tina just starred at Basil. How could he not believe his own mother could do such a thing? "Oh come on. My mom would never do something like that. She doesn't care about anyone, when my dad was dying she stopped talking to the people at the hospital on the phone when my dad stopped breathing. There is proof of my claim!"

"Sounds more like she was in shock." Tina's comment made Basil roll his eyes.

"You think what you think but I know what's true." Basil let out a sigh. "Okay, now why are you two up here?"

"Looking for you." Lee just kept looking at Basil's fingers. They just wouldn't stop twitching. What was wrong with him? "Hey, what's with your fingers?" Tina looked at Basil's hand. She knew what Lee was talking about. Basil's fingers just kept twitching.

"I got an electrical shock to my fingers." Basil swallowed and looked down at his fingers. "I'm not going to go into details."

"What are you doing up here?" Lee looked at Basil's fingers. It must have been quite the shock. Basil snapped his fingers on his left hand causing Lee and Tina to look at him.

"Eyes on my face not my fingers." Basil walked towards a nearby door and opened it. When some hooting started, Basil quickly closed the door. He had found the rafters. "Actually, I'm trying to find a way out of here. No other entrances, no fire escape, the only way out is the front doors leaving me with no escape plan." No fire escape? That explained why Basil had been out on the roof. "Say Lee, you got everyone out of that factory, what do you recommend?" Lee didn't know what to say. The factory had been counting down to an explosion.

"Basil, this is different besides Legendre was once your principal, shouldn't you be getting us out?" Basil raised his left eyebrow. Since he didn't have a right eyebrow, he could only raise his left one. Why couldn't Lee do this? Basil couldn't do this alone. He just couldn't.

"I don't know what to do." Basil shook his head. "You know what I did to earn Legendre's hatred? I spoke out against him. He's like Barrage with crazy magic powers."

"You mentioned him using voodoo a few times." Tina watched as Basil grabbed an abandoned chair, who knows why it was in the middle of a hallway, and used it to jam the door to the rafters closed. He wasn't taking any chances when it came to those owls.

"And you've both found out for yourselves?" Lee and Tina nodded. Basil placed a finger on his chin. Unfortunately, it was one of the fingers that had been shocked causing for a strange appearance. They couldn't help but wonder just how he got shocked. "This complicates things." Basil stood there thinking. What were they going to do?

"So can you explain why Brad hates you?" Lee's question made Basil stop thinking. Basil just crossed his arms and looked to the side. His still twitching fingers made them look like they were tapping.

"I have no idea." Lee shook his head and Tina gave an annoyed sigh. How could Basil not know why Brad hated him? "Our dads didn't like each other but I doubt that's the reason." The sound of a loud metallic footstep then came to their ears. They knew who was coming. This conversation would have to be finished later.


	15. Chapter 15

**Welcome back, gang and enjoy this chapter.**

**Suspicion**

Sondra starred at the needles. She didn't believe Legendre when he had said they were to represent the prop weapons. She couldn't believe Barrage had fallen for that lie. She could only wonder what others lies Barrage had fallen for.

She had not known either of those men prior to adulthood. She couldn't imagine what either of them had been like. She had always avoided people like that but when Basil had started going to Xanadu she couldn't help but have to talk Legendre whenever Basil spoke out against him. Sondra had the same dislike for Legendre that Basil had.

When Cassius had met Legendre, he had said that Legendre would most likely meet a poetic end by his own diabolical devices. Cassius had referred to Legendre as the type of man who was in the wrong kind job. Sondra agreed with that statement and believed the same thing about Barrage. Both seemed more like the kind to be torturing criminals for pleasure.

Cassius had told Basil to always avoid people like that. Sondra did too! The fact that men like that were the principals of the schools Basil had attended and was attending told her that something was going on. She was suspicious of both of them. They might have been on the same side, but Sondra couldn't stand either of those men. They reminded her of the boys that had asked her out on high school, none of them good.

The boys who had asked Sondra out in high school had been unintelligent, cruel, brutish or all three. Cassius had only been her neighbor and neither had paid that much attention to each other. Preston Hagen had only been an actor the Driftwood Theater, which since his death had been renamed the Preston Hagen Theater and her father Petros Odysseus-Brando had only been a house painter.

One day, Preston asked Petros for some help with painting the living room. While the two ended up arguing over which color would be more neutral, Cassius and Sondra got to talking to one another and there was a connection between the two. They had common interests and later they started to have feelings for one another.

Sondra loved Cassius and when he died it had affected both her and Basil. Ultimately, she had lied to Basil and taken him to be a test subject for the song that had been used in the big prank at A. Nigma. It had been improved and Basil and listened to every version of the song to the point that Basil had become immune to it only to sometimes look like he was in a trance. She felt guilty for that.

So there she stood, looking at the needles. Her eyes then looked over to a voodoo doll, one made in Basil's likeness and she knew she had to make up for what she had done to Basil. She would protect her son like he would protect his friends.


	16. Chapter 16

**Welcome back, gang. The break between Act I and Act II is done so now we get around to Basil witnessing the things going on onstage. Actually, there is really no need for Basil to see this scene so he'll actually be witnessing the next scene. Enjoy.**

**Meanwhile during Act II Scene I**

The break between acts was over. As Steve, Brad and Tina were all onstage Basil wandered the theater. He had been able to sneak out of the library as the people who were meant to be onstage left the library. Clarence hadn't noticed… at least Basil hoped he hadn't.

Basil had split from the trio going to the stage as soon as he had gotten out of the library. He had started walking in the opposite direction and walking towards what he hoped was a side door, a door that would get him out.

When Basil got to the door he heard footsteps. Not any footsteps he recognized. Basil instantly turned around and saw… nobody! No one at all! Was he entering the trance again? No, the trance affected his vision not his hearing. Basil had no idea what was going on.

Basil turned back to the door and opened it. To both his surprise and his annoyance it was the prop room. Basil noted a large amount of taxidermy boar heads. Was there going to be a production of Richard III?

Basil then heard something coming through the air vents. It was birds coming to get him. It must have been the owls! He knew it! There was only one thing it could be!

Then what should appear, coming out of the air vents, but the Tatzelwurm. Basil scratched his ear curiously. He had not been expecting the school mascot.

"Uh… hi!" Basil looked around. There was no one present except for himself. If he were found talking to the Tatzelwurm would probably be labeled as a "monster whisperer" by his classmates. "Looking for something?" The Tatzelwurm hissed in response. Basil had no idea what that meant. "Uh, thanks for helping out against Murder." The Tatzelwurm hissed again which Basil interpreted as "your welcome." Basil swallowed and looked around. He heard something. Those footsteps again! He turned around and once again saw nothing. Basil then looked up at the Tatzelwurm. "Anyone back there messing around with me?" The Tatzelwurm shook its head. "Then I must be going crazy." Suddenly, more footsteps were heard. Different from the ones he had been hearing. Basil watched as the Tatzelwurm vanished back into the air vent as a hand grabbed Basil's shoulder. Basil turned around and saw an old white haired man in a shabby looking outfit. Basil looked at the man's nametag: G. Morgan. There was something familiar about this person.

"Looking for something?" Basil shook his head. "No? Then why does someone who bears some resemblance to the ghost end up snooping around in here?" Ghost? This Mr. Morgan must have been superstitious. "Don't you think me superstitious!" Basil's eyes widened. How did Mr. Morgan know what he was thinking? "I've seen the ghost of Preston Hagen and you must be his grandson: Peter Russell!"

"Actually, I'm his other grandson: Basil Hagen."

"I don't care! One grandson of Preston looks just like the other!"

"But there is only two of us and we look nothing alike!"

"Don't you talk to me about numbers!" Mr. Morgan shacked a finger in Basil's face. "Just what are you doing in the prop room?"

"Trying to find a way out."

"Why?"

"I don't know if you've noticed but the people in charge today aren't exactly on the nice list." Mr. Morgan shook his head.

"Yes!" Mr. Morgan continued to shake his head. "The prison guard, the cyborg general and the… rat faced… magic man." Mr. Morgan stroked his chin dumbfounded. "Rat faced magic man? Possibly I can do better!"

"You forgot my mom." Mr. Morgan shook his head.

"No, she's harmless to you, to them not so much." Basil sighed. Why couldn't this guy make sense? "I know everything that goes on in this theater. It's scary to some." Basil shook his head. This guy had delusions of omnipotence! "Do not think me delusional! I've been working at this theater for thirty-seven years and I know this place like the back of my hand." A sly grin appeared on Basil's face.

"Sure, and I'm King Kong!" Mr. Morgan clenched his fists and ground his teeth together. He did not take Basil's sarcasm kindly.

"I'll prove it!" There was a sly look in Basil's eyes that matched his grin. Mr. Morgan did not notice any of this. "There is a trap door at the center of the stage, if you go through it then you are capable of getting to every part of the theater with relative ease even out of the theater without going through the front door!" Basil clapped his hands.

"And once again I am the master." Basil walked past Mr. Morgan, leaving the old man dumbfounded. When it suited him, Basil would play the part of the trickster. It always got him what he wanted and what he got was knowledge of how to easily get around the theater.

All he needed was a moment to get to that trap door. That was all needed. Only that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Welcome back, gang. Now for those of you wondering, yes there will be some Lee and Tina or Lena as I've shortened it to but it will be subtle at least as subtle as I can make it. Enjoy.**

**Act II Scene II**

The second scene of the second act came and Basil was one of the people required onstage. Basil was actually standing offstage at the moment, and taking notice of the zombified Mr. McElroy and Mr. Neptune. One stage were Biffy, Kimmie, Cam and Holger and a bunch of other people as attendants. After some dialogue Cam and Holger and some of the other people left the stage, and Steve, who had been waiting offstage, entered. After some more dialogue, Steve walked offstage only to renter not long after with Zed and Irwin following him. Then Zed and Irwin left the stage and walked back to the library. Biffy, Kimmie and the others then left the stage as Lee made his entrance. Basil let out a sigh as he watched Lee and Steve spoke their lines against their will. He would be doing the… no, he wouldn't. He didn't feel like he was under the control of a voodoo doll. He had felt it before and he knew what it felt like. It felt like someone had a hand around his heart and he didn't feel that. A grin appeared on Basil's face as Cam and Holger walked back onto the stage with Steve making his exit not long after. Basil was free from Legendre's control and he could make use of his freedom. Trumpets flourished, being sounded by the two zombified former teachers of Xanadu and for a moment hooting could be heard. Steve waited a bit before walking back on stage, having more to do with Legendre waiting to know if the owls would fly down and attack the students or not, but finally he walked out and after a little bit Basil, accompanied with Margarita, Brad and two others walked out onto the stage as the players.

Basil walked past the group and to the center of the stage, where sure enough he could see the trap door. When Legendre saw this he only then noticed that the voodoo doll made in Basil's likeness was missing. He nudged Barrage and pointed at the voodoo dolls on the table with Barrage's jaw dropping when there wasn't one that resembled Basil.

"He must have stolen it." Legendre whispered to Barrage, attracting the attention of Sondra Hagen.

"What do you plan to do?" Barrage's cyborg eye was on Basil. He was guilty just like Lee was of the prank.

"Have him watched." Barrage then turned to look at Legendre. "If a voodoo doll should fall into the hands of the person its image is made in then it is forever useless. Hagen is no longer under my control. It's best to have him watched so he doesn't cause trouble." Both then turned their heads to look at the stage, both of them had their eyes on Basil.

"_All you gods, in general synod 'take away her power, break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, and bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven, as low as to the fiends!'_" Basil's voice was deep and commanding, it didn't sound like the way it usually did. This was all Basil.

"_This is too long."_ Steve said this while stroking his fake beard. This wasn't him he was being controlled by Legendre. None of this was his own movement everyone save Basil was a puppet.

"_It shall be to the barber's, with your beard._" Lee went on with his line as Basil walked to the very edge of the stage. The dialogue continued and later Steve left the stage with the left of Basil's group. Lee, Holger, Cam and Basil were the only people left on the stage. "_Dost thou hear me, old friend, can you play the Murder of Gonzago?_" Basil walked over to Lee and from where Basil stood he could hear the angry sound of Legendre grinding his teeth together.

"_Ay, my lord._" Basil nodded in response.

"_Very well._" Lee continued with his line and finally Basil left the stage. Basil did not go to the library. Instead he walked over to the where the costumes were and changed into the costume for the play with a play. Fake mustache and beard and all, Basil waited for the scene to end as he looked in the mirror. How horrific he looked! With his disfigured face alone he didn't look frightening but with the mustache and beard he looked someone from a horror story.

Disfigured face combined with a fake mustache and beard equaled something that Basil could not look at. It was his face and he couldn't look at it. No doubt others wouldn't be able to look at it and he could go along with his search for an escape.


	18. Chapter 18

**Welcome back, gang. In this chapter I'm going to try and have it focus on more than one person. Oh, and good work if you notice the line from 6teen in there. Enjoy.**

"**Watch him."**

Lee stood in front of Tina. He just had to try and explain the whole hair incident. Once he did things would probably be less complicated between them.

"Alright Lee, explain." Tina looked at Lee. She really hoped this was a good explanation.

"Okay, so on that one Wednesday I-" Lee trailed off as he and Tina heard something. It was voices. They both walked around the corner and saw Barrage, Legendre and Clarence standing just outside of the library.

"What do you want me to do?" Clarence looked at the two principals. Lee and Tina looked at each other. Just what was going on here? "Send Hannibal after him?" Legendre shook his head.

"If you do that then what's the point of doing what you're going to do to him once we've finished the play?" Clarence nodded. Barrage raised an eyebrow. Lee and Tina just wondered whom they were talking about. "Just have him watched." Clarence raised his arms in a confused manner.

"How?" Clarence then started flailing his arms about. "If I keep an eye on him there is a good chance Hannibal could eat somebody."

"Send one of the two students that are-"

"Which one?" Barrage glared angrily at Clarence interrupting him.

"Von Chilstein." Clarence raised an eyebrow at Barrage's suggestion. Clarence then turned around and looked into the library. The only two students in the library during the act break were Chopper and Brad, Clarence's henchmen for the day. As soon as Brad was brought up Lee and Tina knew that they were talking about Basil. When Brad heard his last name, he looked over at the two principals and the vice principal. "He hates Hagen with a vengeance!" Clarence then gestured for Brad to come over who did.

"You hate Hagen?" Brad nodded at Legendre's question. "Why?"

"Well my dad didn't like his dad so even though me and my dad are nothing alike I still have family loyalty." Lee and Tina didn't buy Brad's reason for hating Basil. Legendre didn't seem to buy it either.

"Your loyalty to your family members is admirable." Legendre nodded but stopped and looked at Brad with menacing eyes. "But what is the real reason?"

"I just told you." Legendre shook his head.

"No you didn't." Brad's eyes widened. "Now once again: what is the real reason?" Brad swallowed. "Tell me!"

"Well, sir, back when me and him were little, about five years old, we were at camp together and I thought it would be funny to push him into a lake. Problem was that I found out he couldn't swim and he nearly drowned."

"You helped him out of the water?"

"No… I ran away and he apparently got himself out. Later, he ended up pushing me into some mud and it got in my hair and he gave some comment that looking back must have been along the lines of a 'now we're even' but I'm not really sure about that so I hate him because of all of that." Lee and Tina both looked at each other. That was why Brad hated Basil? Basil had a better reason to hate Brad he was nearly drowned by him, accidentally maybe, but Brad still nearly drowned him!

"That's stupid!" Brad starred in shock at Clarence.

"That's pathetic." Brad then looked at Barrage. How was his reason for hating Basil stupid or pathetic? Legendre sighed.

"Nevertheless, that'll have to do." Legendre shook his head and then looked at Brad. "Watch him. Keep and eye on him, basically make sure Hagen isn't trying to do anything to mess up our entertainment. If he is then box his nose."

"Uh, I have no idea what that last part meant but okay!" Brad nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him." Brad walked away, passing both Lee and Tina, muttering: "All I've got to do is find Basil."

In the theater was Basil. Standing near the trap door, he was trying to figure out how to open it. Since it was a trap door then there would be a bar underneath keeping it closed. Or would there? Basil knelt down and looked closer and saw a handle on the door, one of the kind that folded into the door. He grabbed the handle and opened the trap door. To his surprise there was indeed a bar underneath the trap door. So this trap door went both ways, how interesting. Basil closed the door then looked around. No one was out in the theater maybe Barrage, Legendre and his mom were getting coffee. Basil then reached for the handle and started to pull it.

"Basil!" Basil let go of the handle, stood up and looked at Margarita coming towards him. The shocked look in her eyes was directed at the fake beard and mustache Basil was wearing. Basil immediately removed the beard and mustache and looked at Margarita. "What are you doing out here?"

"Finding a way of escape!" Basil pointed at the trap door. Margarita laughed.

"You know Basil this isn't anything like the Green Apple Splat Factory." Basil raised his left eyebrow. It didn't look as weird as when he raised his right brow that was missing an eyebrow but it still looked weird.

"You were one of the students trapped inside?" Margarita shook her head.

"Actually, I was one of the students that got out to the boat." Basil nodded in understanding. "So what is your reason in believing that we need to escape?"

"I don't need a reason I've got experience." Margarita had a curious look in her eyes. What was Basil talking about? "I've seen in Clarence at his most brutal moment. He once broke a guy's leg just because he wouldn't get off of a table in the cafeteria!"

"He did what?" Margarita couldn't believe what she was hearing. Who would let someone like that be a vice principal?

"Oh, and he's threatened me a few of times." Basil swallowed. "He once threatened to throw me off the roof of my old school and make it look like an accident all because he didn't like the color of my shoes." Margarita shook her head. How could someone like that be a vice principal? Vice Principal Victoria was nothing like that!

"What is he some kind of fascist?" Basil swallowed and looked down.

"I once asked him that." Basil then looked up at the rafters where the owls were. "He said he didn't no what that is but he liked the sound of it." Margarita groaned.

"Great, so now we've got a brutal ex-prison guard here." Basil looked at Margarita and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan." Margarita smiled.

"Really?"

"Actually I'm making it up as I go." Margarita smile turned into a frown. Why couldn't Basil do things the easy way instead of the hard way? She thought about and believed that making it up as he went along was probably better should there be a snag in the plan.

In an office in the theater, Sondra Hagen looked through one of Legendre's suitcases. It was filled with pictures of the students. A few of them had a red 'X' through them. Lee and Tina were two of them. Sondra then came to a picture of her son Basil. It had the word "Break" written across the bottom. What did all of this mean?


	19. Chapter 19

**Welcome back, gang. With more time on my hands you can expect longer chapters, however the chapters without dialogue will be short. Enjoy.**

**Promotion**

Sondra starred at the picture of her son Basil. The picture had the word 'break' written on it. She had gotten a promotion for her day job for what she did to Basil. It was selfish of her. Originally a writer for the Brigadoon Theater Company, Sondra would have to change things around with the plays and cut things out, making things feel… just not right. She was ultimately promoted to director for what she did to Basil, the other company she worked with had made gotten her that promotion and now she was feeling guilt for what she had done.

It was selfish of her and she felt guilty about it. Offering up Basil as a test subject could be called bad parenting but she had been hit hard by Cassius' death, so had Basil but what she had done could not have been considered acceptable.

It wasn't considered acceptable. She should have offered up one of her nieces or her nephew from Cassius' side of the family. They were all cruel and hated Basil because his middle name was Preston and believed that Basil had been their grandfather's favorite. They were right of course, Preston had seen the cruelty in them and of course would never pay any attention to them and would only spend time with Basil. She should have offered up one of them as a test subject for the prank song. It would have been better that they kept going in and out of a trance instead of Basil. But that had left Basil immune to the prank song so maybe there was a good side to what had been done to Basil.

Now that she was feeling guilt for what she had done to Basil, Sondra was considering taking down the other company she worked for from the inside but that would make things unfair in her eyes. She had always tried to be neutral, never taking sides and she wouldn't here, at least she wouldn't get involved in the conflict but she would get involved in helping stop Legendre's plan, whatever it was.

She had taken the voodoo doll that was in Basil's image. She had done it to give Basil freedom on stage but now she realized it was all to stop Legendre's plan. It all made sense. The red 'X's on the pictures of some of the students, the voodoo dolls, the needles! Legendre intended to kill those students. But why? That's what she wanted to know and now she was wondering if this was because Legendre's zombification idea had been passed over with hypnosis in a song. She didn't know if that was the reason but that was as good a belief to go with for what Legendre's reason was.


	20. Chapter 20

**Welcome back, gang. This is the last chapter to take place during the second break between acts. Enjoy. **

**Waiting**

Cam and Holger stood outside the theater. There were others, too but Cam and Holger were openly discussing the situation they were in. Holger wasn't sure about what he had seen on that security tape but only that he had seen Cam buying the same kind of backpack that Lee had. Also the incident on that one Thursday hadn't been too good with Holger believing Cam to be a robot.

"I can't even understand what I'm saying." Cam shook his head. "This must be worse than the lines I had as the Tatzelwurm."

"Holger no understand lines either." Holger let out a sigh. "Where is Balder? Why can't he explain what we say?"

"Explain the lines?" Biffy then walked over to Cam and Holger. "Never mind the lines. The dragon is a danger to us! Who would make that thing a school mascot?"

"I bet the Tatzelwurm could take on the dragon." Biff shook his head at Cam's comment.

"No way. That would be like a mouse against a tiger!" Here they were out getting some fresh air. They were discussing their situation. They were discussing every part of their situation. Biffy's comment about the Tatzelwurm not being able to beat the Dragon was something. It was something true.

"Yeah, well I'd still pay to see it." Biffy nodded. That would be something to see.

Meanwhile, Basil stood looking down the trapdoor. Margarita stood next to him, also looking down the trapdoor. Basil then looked at Margarita.

"How far do you think the ground is?" Margarita leaned forward and looked into the trapdoor. It didn't look that far down.

"Probably not that far." Basil nodded.

"Yeah, but it could be further down than it looks." Margarita looked at Basil. What was wrong with him? Was he afraid he'd twist his ankle? "I could hurt my ankle!" She knew it! Basil was scared of being injured and so he wouldn't go through the trapdoor. Footsteps were then heard. They both turned around and saw Brad. "Brad… what evil scheme are you up to?" Lee and Tina then showed up. Basil let out a sigh. "Great."

"Evil? Me?" Basil nodded at Brad's question. "Why Basil, you beat me up for no reason when we were five. How am I the evil one?"

"He did not beat you up!" Brad turned to look at Lee. "He pushed you into mud!"

"What makes you think you know everything?"

"We heard you talking to Barrage, Legendre and Clarence." Tina's response caused a shocked look to appear on Brad's face. He did not want anyone to know how he and Basil's hatred for each other started. "You pushed him into a lake and he nearly drowned, he pushed you into mud." Lee and Tina's eyes were on Basil. He was climbing into the trapdoor.

"Basil, you've known me for a long time defend me here!" Brad turned around and saw that Basil was gone. He had gone through the trapdoor. Brad blinked and then walked over to the trapdoor and opened it. Lee and Tina followed and looked down the trapdoor. Brad then looked at everyone else. "So… uh… how far down do you think the ground is?" Margarita sighed and shook her head. She had practically just been asked the same question by Basil! Margarita placed a hand on Brad's back and pushed him down the trapdoor. There was a painful cry, not from Brad but from Basil who apparently hadn't got very far. None of the three above looked down. Lee looked at Tina, Tina looked at Lee and Margarita looked at the ceiling.

"Get off of me, you clumsy ox!" Margarita grimaced. It was partly her fault that Brad landed on Basil.

"Clumsy?" Brad laughed. "You're the one who ended up tipping his own canoe!"

"That was both of us!"

"I've been trying to forget that."

"Oh shut up!" The annoyed sound of Basil's voice caused Tina to look through the trapdoor. "And get off my bad leg!"

"Which leg is your bad leg?" Lee looked through the trapdoor. He thought he knew the answer to the question. He just wasn't sure.

"I'm not telling you!"

"Then I'm not getting up." Lee and Tina could imagine a grin on Brad's face. "I gave Clarence money and now I'm keeping an eye on you! You can't cause any trouble with me on your legs."

"I'm needed for act III scene II and so are you." The sound of Brad getting up was heard. Brad then came through the trapdoor.

"Okay, good point now you come up!" The sound of Basil walking away beneath the stage was heard. Brad let out an annoyed sigh. "Crap." Brad then looked at Lee, Tina and Margarita. "Do any of you have a flashlight?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Welcome back, gang. Well the third act begins in this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Act III Scene I**

Biffy, Kimmie, Steve, Tina, Cam and Holger walked out onto the stage. Tina was thinking of where Basil was now. Last she saw of Basil he had gone through the trapdoor. Brad had followed him, not before going to get a flashlight and so that only begged the question of where both of them were.

"_And can you, by drift of circumstance, get from him why he puts on this confusion, grating so harshly all his days of quiet with turbulent and dangerous lunacy?_" Biffy wasn't thinking about where Basil was. He was thinking the same thing as Cam and Holger. Why would someone bring something as dangerous as the Dragon into a public place?

"_He does confess he feels himself distracted, but from what cause he will by no means speak._"

"_Nor do we find him forward to be sounded, but, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof, when we would bring him on to some confession of his true state._" Cam and Holger talking. No one could remember who was playing Rosencrantz and who was playing Guildenstern. In fact Basil could not even remember which character was Rosencrantz and which character was Guildenstern because the two rarely appeared in any scenes without the other.

"_Did he receive you well?_" Kimmie wasn't thinking about what any of the others were thinking about. She was thinking about when this would be over.

"_Most like a gentleman._"

"_But with much forcing of his disposition._"

"_Niggard of question, but of our demands, most free in his reply._" Once again Cam and Holger were talking. Once again no one knew which was Rosencrantz and which was Guildenstern.

"_Did you assay him?_" Kimmie didn't even know what she was saying. "_To any pastime?"_

"_Madam, it so fell out, that certain players we o'er-raught on the way: of these we told him, and there did seem in him a kind of joy to hear of it: they are about the court, and, as I think, they have already order this night to play before him._"

"'_Tis most true: and he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties to hear and see the matter._" Steve was thinking the exact same thing. He too didn't understand what he was saying.

"_With all my heart, and it doth much content me to hear him so inclined._" Biffy just couldn't understand why the Dragon would be brought here. The Tatzelwurm was safer to be around. "_Good gentlemen, give him a further edge, and to drive his purpose on to these heights._"

"_We shall, my lord._" Cam and Holger left the stage. And then there were four.

"_Sweet Gertrude, leave us too, for we have closely sent for Hamlet hither, that he, as 'twere by accident, may here affront Ophelia: her father and myself, lawful espials, will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen, we may of their encounter frankly judge, and gather by him, as he is behaved, if 't be the affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for._" Biffy felt in need to take a breath after that monologue.

"_I shall obey you_." Kimmie then turned her head to look at Tina, against her will of course. "_And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish that your good beauties be the happy cause of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues will bring him to his wonted way again, to both your honorus._"

"_Madam, I wish it may._" Kimmie then left the stage. Then there were three. Steve looked at Tina, like Kimmie, against his will.

"_Ophelia, walk you here._" Steve pointed at the floor. "_Gracious, so please you, we will bestow ourselves._ _Read on this book, that show of such an exercise may colour your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this, 'tis too much proved, that with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself._"

"_O, 'tis too true!"_ Biffy wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying. He was only starting to wonder where Basil had gone. "_How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience! The harlot's cheek, beautified with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word: O heavy burthen!_" Steve turned his head to offstage.

"_I hear him coming: let's withdraw, my lord._" Biffy and Steve walked offstage and Lee walked onstage. There were two people on stage. Lee gave the 'To Be or Not to Be" speech then the whole 'Get Thee to a Nunnery' scene happened in it's brutal nature, hurting Tina, and in came Basil through the theater entrance. Basil pointed at Legendre.

"You are dead!" Basil was yelling at the top of his lungs. Legendre, Barrage and Sondra all turned around to look at Basil. Brad then came into the theater.

"You're not getting away this time!" Basil turned around and looked at Brad with eyes that were less than happy.

"Shut your mouth!" Brad didn't say anything after that. Basil turned to look at Legendre. Instead he saw Barrage standing in front of him. He began to stutter. "Y-You're f-f-f-fast for s-s-s-someone with a glorified ball and chain."

"Hand it over!" Basil raised his left eyebrow.

"What?"

"The voodoo doll!"

"I didn't touch anything!" Barrage looked like he was about to hit Basil until Sondra spoke him.

"Don't touch my son." She said it slowly and Barrage lowered his hand, Sondra then looked at Basil. "Go back to the library, Basil, or we'll never reach Act III Scene IV." Basil starred at his for a moment, not understanding. Then it hit him! Basil nodded and silently walked away, leaving the theater followed by Brad. He knew what Legendre was going to do. He knew what he had to stop.


	22. Chapter 22

**Welcome back, gang. Yet another scene from Hamlet. Enjoy.**

**Act III Scene II**

Lee, Basil, Brad and Margarita all walked on to the stage. Lee spoke his line, against his will of course, and then Basil replied with his impossibly short line.

"_I warrant your honour." _Lee then spoke again resulting in Basil speaking another line. "_I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, sir_." Lee then spoke another line. Basil, Brad and Margarita then left the stage as Steve, Cam and Holger made their entrance. As Basil walked offstage to wait for when he would have to go back onstage he saw Tina from the corner of his eye. He walked over to her. "How are you doing?"

"I'll live." Tina wasn't looking Basil in the eye. "I know that wasn't Lee hurting me but Legendre. You couldn't have taken more voodoo dolls than just yours?"

"I didn't, my mom did." Basil sighed. "Besides, there wouldn't be much use to taking yours, Lee's or anyone else's. None of you even know the lines." Basil looked out on stage. "Legendre intends to kill everyone who is playing a character that dies." Tina looked at Basil with wide eyes.

"What?"

"What do you mean?" Margarita's voice was filled with worry.

"Crazy, stupid and a liar!" Basil turned to look at Brad. What was his problem? He wasn't even completely sure about why Brad hated him. Basil had a good reason to hate Brad he nearly drowned Basil!

"I don't need criticism of the truth from you." Basil turned to look back at Tina. "My mom said we'd never reach Act III Scene IV. That is the scene that Polonius dies in, the first character to die in the play."

"Polonius… but that's Steve!" Tina looked as Steve as he walked offstage to wait. Steve didn't hear Tina and Basil just nodded at Tina's exclamation. Cam and Holger then came offstage for the same reason as Steve. Ed then walked onstage.

"Tina, you are in danger. Ophelia is one the characters that dies in the play." Tina starred in fright at Basil. She hoped that this was just some cruel joke but Basil wasn't someone to do something like that. "Lee's in danger, Biffy's in danger, Kimmie's in danger, Chaz, Cam, Holger, a lot of you are in danger." Biffy, Kimmie, Steve, Tina, Cam, Holger and a bunch of others then walked onstage. Basil was left alone with the rest of his group, the people who were playing the players.

After waiting for some minutes, Basil and Margarita walked out onto the stage. They walked onto the stage lovingly, with Margarita embracing him and Basil embracing her. Margarita kneeled before Basil and resisted his passion. He lifted her up and laid his head upon the neck. Basil then lied down on a bank of flowers. Margarita then left the stage and Brad walked onstage and took the crown from Basil's head. Brad then held up an empty vial and acted like he was pouring poison into Basil's ear. Brad then walked offstage. Margarita walked back onstage, seeing Basil as the dead king, she fell to her knees with her face in her hands. Brad then came back onstage, with three others: Irwin, Giuseppe and Chopper. As Brad comforted Margarita, the others carried Basil offstage. Brad then wooed Margarita with gifts. She was cold toward him for a while but then relented and accepted his advances. The players then left the stage. The pantomime was done.

After a few minutes, Basil and Margarita walked back onstage. The two spoke their lines to one another, with Basil unfortunately channeling Charlton Heston. Margarita walked offstafe, Brad then walked back onstage and spoke his lines and then once again prented to pour poison into Basil's ear.

After some waiting from Basil, that was all he was doing with small roles, Basil walked offstage leaving Lee and Ed onstage. Basil then walked to the dressing room and changed into the costume for the role of Osric. Now with more time on his hands before he would appear onstage, Basil could stop Legendre's plans.

Basil looked at the prop sword. It was just chrome-covered rubber. But Brad and Clarence didn't know that!


	23. Chapter 23

**Welcome back, gang. We're with Basil in this chapter and he's trying to figure out how to save his classmates from Legendre's evil plan. Enjoy.**

**Thinking**

Basil didn't leave the dressing room. He just looked at his reflection in the mirror. Whoever someone had to be good looking to save the day? Actually, that caused Basil to wonder why did Brad hate him? Basil hated Brad because Brad had nearly drowned him. Basil hadn't done anything to Brad. So why did Brad hate him?

What was Basil to do? Brad was standing right behind him. He couldn't go anywhere with someone who was skeptical of the truth behind him. Basil turned his head to look at Brad.

"Brad, could you get me some tap water?" Brad raised an eyebrow.

"Why can't you get it?" Basil pointed his real looking prop sword at Brad. Brad put his hands up. "Okay, okay!" Brad walked towards the door and then stopped. He turned to look at Basil. "Wouldn't bottled water be better?"

"No, have you ever read those articles?" Brad shook his head. "Why am I not surprised, you probably drink the pool water."

"Hey, that's uncalled for!" Basil pointed his sword at Brad again. Brad left the room grumbling. If anyone were to see him doing this he'd never hear the end of it.

Basil turned back to look at his reflection in the mirror. He had been told that the Dragon could breath blue fire. That was new. It was becoming a dragon in every definition of the word all it was missing was wings!

Fire! That was the answer! Basil looked over at an umbrella stand that of course had umbrellas in it. Basil then looked up at the ceiling. There were sprinklers in the ceiling! He smiled. He hoped the water was freezing cold!

As Brad was in the theater's kitchen, Brad only wondered why did a theater have a kitchen? It made no sense!

"I don't drink pool water." Brad grabbed a glass and filled it with tap water. "I might be on the swim team but that doesn't mean I drink the pool water. No one on the swim team does that!" Brad stopped talking. Why was he talking to himself? He shook his head. Basil insanity was rubbing off on him. Basil thought Legendre was going to kill students. That was crazy. Basil didn't belong in a place with normal people he belonged in an asylum in a straightjacket! Brad then turned around and jumped when he saw a man in front of him. He had seen this man before. He had seen him before! Brad had seen his picture in the theater's lobby! Brad was looking at a dead man! He was looking at Preston Hagen's ghost. "I must be hallucinating!" Brad splashed the water into his own face. The ghost was still there. "I'm not hallucinating." The ghost walked away, straight through the wall. Brad couldn't believe this. Mr. Morgan was right! There was a ghost in this theater! Brad then looked at the empty glass. "Great!" He turned back to the sink and once again filled the glass. If Mr. Morgan had been right about the ghost then could Basil have been right about Legendre's plan?

Basil walked towards the umbrella stand. He grabbed a red umbrella and looked at it. It was the same shade of red as his flat cap and his shoes. This would do nicely.

Basil shivered. Someone must have forgotten to pay the heating bill. Why had it suddenly become so cold? Basil turned back to look at the mirror. Basil's eyes widened and he dropped the umbrella. There was a man in the mirror. "Grampa Preston?" The man nodded. Basil turned around. There was no one in the room but him! Basil looked back at the mirror but his grandfather's image was gone. Basil slumped back in a chair and started to rub his forehead. "My eyes are playing tricks on me again! I'm in the trance again! That's what's happening! Yeah, that's it!" Basil then looked around. "Why am I talking to myself?" Basil then looked back at the mirror. What had he just seen?


	24. Chapter 24

**Welcome back, gang. It took me this long and I've finally gotten to the part I've been waiting to write for a while. Enjoy.**

**Freezing Cold**

Basil walked towards the library. In his hands were the umbrella and the prop sword.

"Basil!" Basil turned around and looked at Brad. He was holding a glass of water. Brad handed Basil the glass only to have Basil splash the water in his face. "What was that for?"

"Just a taste of what's going to happen." Basil walked into the library. While the umbrella rested on his right arm, Basil still held the empty glass. Brad glared angrily. What was Basil going on about?

As soon as Basil walked into the library he saw the Dragon looking up at him. A grin appeared on Basil's face. Perfect. Basil threw the glass at the Dragon who growled angrily.

It started to move towards Basil. All eyes were on the two of them. Clarence starred intently. He wanted to watch Basil get torn apart. He always wanted to see someone get torn apart by the Dragon.

Basil stood on top of a chair, then on top of a table. The Dragon breathed the blue fire that Basil had heard about. Basil ducked and the fire hit the sprinklers and the rest happened all according to plan. Basil's plan!

In the theater, Legendre was about to plunge the needle into the voodoo doll of Steve. Then came the water. It was freezing cold! The very feel of it caused him to drop the needle and the voodoo doll. Legendre stood up and started to walk towards the stage. One of those blasted students had planned this. It was either Ping or Hagen. It was one of those two. He knew it. As he reached the stage, he pointed one of his fingers at the students on stage: Kimmie McAdams, Steve and Lee Ping. "You three stay here! And all of you standing offstage get out here!" Biffy Goldstein walked onstage. Legendre blinked in shock. "Or the big fat one, get out here." Biffy glared at this comment. He wasn't fat. Suddenly, hooting was heard. Everyone looked up and sure enough down came the owls… at Legendre. A smile appeared on Biffy's face.

"As Basil would say, there is such a thing as karma." Everyone watched as the owls chased Legendre out of the theater. There was something terribly ironic about all this. A man who had a pet vulture being chased by owls? This was just too good.

Mr. Morgan walked around the theater. The sprinklers were either on the fritz again or there was a fire somewhere. Armed with a fire extinguisher, even though it was pointless with the sprinklers on, Mr. Morgan continued to walk around the theater. He had no idea of what to do, just spray anything that looked liked fire. Then one of those students ran past him. He couldn't remember which. It must have been the one that he had seen on the table. What was his name again? He didn't care. Just someone trying to get out of this indoor rainstorm.

Then that oversized reptile showed up! Mr. Morgan starred at this thing. It wasn't that schools mascot, whatever it was called. The reptile had blue fire coming out of its mouth.

"Found the source of the fire." Mr. Morgan started to spray the Dragon with the fire extinguisher. This was the first time that he had ever used it on a living creature and the Dragon wasn't showing any sign of backing down. The giant lizard moved quickly, grabbed Mr. Morgan by the leg with its mouth and threw him aside. The old man clutched his leg in pain, watching as the Dragon ran down the hallway. Mr. Morgan starred in horror as he realized who the Dragon was going after. That kid he saw! That monstrous beast meant to kill that student!


	25. Chapter 25

**Welcome back, gang. Without further wait for this chapter, here we go! Enjoy.**

**Questioning**

All of the students were standing in a line on the stage. Clarence was standing in front of them, starring at all of them with searching eyes. One of them was missing.

"Where's Hagen?" No one looked like they were going to tell Clarence anything. Angrily, Clarence walked towards Brad. "You were suppose to keep an eye on him! Where is he?" Brad looked down.

"I don't know." Clarence then walked over to Lee.

"How about you?" Lee glared at Clarence in response. "You're friends with him, you must know where he is."

"Haven't seen him." Clarence then walked over to Tina. The Vice Principal of Xanadu grabbed Tina by the arm and held up his prison guard baton. Tina starred in fright at the baton. So did Lee.

"Let's try this again." Lee was about to speak when down came the Tatzelwurm! It fell down onto Clarence. It bit down on Clarence's arm, the right arm the one whose hand held the baton. Clarence started to shake his arm, intending to shake off the Tatzelwurm. The laughter of the students on the stage was really getting to Clarence. He had since let go of Tina's arm and as he changed his tactics to pulling off the Tatzelwurm instead of trying to shake it off. It was a good thing that Legendre, Barrage and Mrs. Hagen weren't here he'd hate to see the people in charge of this seeing him be made a fool out of.

"That won't work!" That was Basil's voice! Everyone started to look around. Clarence's eyes found him, up in the rafters with owls around him. The owls were calm around him. This was strange, normally any bird would attack Basil on sight and Basil couldn't be around birds without being a nervous wreck. Basil was as calm as the owls. "It's like a badger, the only way to release its jaw is to break it and that's something you can never do!"

"Don't mock me, you disfigured demon!" Basil laughed.

"Your feeble insults are good to hear again!" Clarence glared. Basil dared to talk back to him like that? No one talked back to him!

"Come on, I thought you wanted your students to talk to you!"

"You're not one of my students!"

"Exactly." A sound them came to Basil's ears. A sound coming from the right! Basil turned his head and from crashing through a door came the Dragon!


	26. Chapter 26

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy.**

**Bluffing**

As the Dragon charged towards Basil, Basil jumped from the rafters and like Lee during the battle of the bands got his leg caught in a rope. Hanging upside down, Basil looked up as he heard he saw the owls fly away from the rafters in fear. Basil swallowed.

"Oh boy, not good." Basil shook his head. "Not good at all." Basil then heard a sound and he realized that his prop sword had fallen from his grip and hit the floor. Basil watched as Clarence picked it up and examined it.

"Chrome covered rubber?" Basil swallowed in fear as Clarence starred at him. "You made me look like a fool! An incompetent fool!"

"It's not that hard." There was laughing from the students. Clarence extended his hand to grab Basil's throat but Basil extended his fists. "I'm warning you! My fists are considered by the governments of the world to be one of the most lethal weapons in existence!"

"So is the gun in my pocket!" Basil wasn't fooled. He just grinned.

"The gun that looks like it came out of a cereal box?" Clarence pulled out his gun. He then aimed it at Lee's right shoulder and fired. Tina let out a frightened cry and Basil's eyes widened at what he saw. A throwing dart had come out of it. And it was sticking in Lee's shoulder. Lee pulled it out and looked at Basil.

"'Gun that looks like it came out of a cereal box?'" Basil gave an awkward smile as Lee glared at him.

"Sorry." Basil choked as Clarence grabbed his throat.

"Now, with all of you here it's time for the real questioning to start! An interrogation!" Clarence then looked up at the Dragon who was starring down at them. "Hannibal, get down here. Don't let anyone leave." The Dragon did come down to the stage, although it took a couple of minutes. When the Dragon did get to the stage, Clarence left the theater. He was going to get Legendre, Barrage and Mrs. Hagen, the one person that he was loyal to would finally get justice for Murder's death, at last and he would be able to break someone's back. Why? Because Clarence enjoyed hurting people, that was why.


	27. Chapter 27

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy.**

**Explanations**

Legendre starred at Basil. There was a terribly smug look on his rat-like face. "Well, well, well, a student I hate hanging from a rope. Why am I not surprised?" There was a chuckle from Clarence causing a few people to stare nervously. "Of course, I would have preferred the rope to be around your neck but this works, too!"

"That's going to far!" Legendre turned around and looked at Barrage.

"Excuse me?" Legendre walked towards Barrage. He was curious about why his old friend was suddenly defending someone he didn't like. "There are students you don't like, wouldn't you like to see them get capital punishment eventually?" Barrage didn't answer. "You've changed since our boarding school days." Legendre then turned to look at Basil. "But you're probably wondering why I'm doing all of this, aren't you?"

"You mean to get revenge for Murder's death, even though he was killed by a lightning bolt, by killing the people whose roles die and then you intend to have me permanently injured." Everyone starred in disbelief. How had Basil come up with that so quickly? "He's the most petty and cruel person on the face of the earth, it's too obvious!"

"Thank you, I try my best!" Legendre grinned happily as everyone nodded in agreement with Basil's explanation. "And you're right, I do intend to do that. What's anyone to do, I've got the entire government under my control." Basil did not look convinced. "Alright, so I'm making that part up but a bunch of people dying of heart attacks on the same day won't be suspicious at all!" Legendre blinked for a few seconds. "Hell, it will be suspicious!" He then turned to look at Clarence. "Order the Dragon to rip them all apart!" Clarence just shook his head.

"You're not paying me enough for me to do that."

"I'm not paying you at all!"

"Excellent point, and by the way, the rest of the staff members send their regards." Clarence looked down at the Dragon. "Hannibal, sic right leg!" Legendre's eyes widened as the Dragon charged towards him. Instantly, Legendre ran away, out of the theater, with the Dragon still following him. Clarence then walked away, smiling. "Alright everyone go back to school… or go home, depending on what time it is. I've really got to start wearing a watch."

"Wait!" Basil called out to the leaving Clarence. "Aren't you going to get me down?"

"I've got better things to do!" Clarence left the theater. Barrage followed soon after.

"As do I!" Basil started shaking his fists as the two left the theater. When he looked around for help he found that he was completely alone save for Lee and Tina.

"Need a hand?" Basil smiled at Lee's question.

"You look like you need one!" Tina's comment caused Basil to chuckle.

"Do I ever! I have too much blood rushing to the head!"


	28. Chapter 28

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy. **

**Good Deed for Today**

Lee and Tina both tugged at Basil's arms. He was coming down from the rope. It was still around his leg. Basil starred at both in annoyance.

"That's not working!" Tina was looking at the rope. Basil's leg simply wasn't coming loose.

"You're a master at stating the obvious, Tina." Basil was rather stoic at the moment. His face was, his eyes were filled with nothing but annoyance. He had a right to be annoyed! The rope was wrapped around his bad leg.

"If you've got any ideas we'd like to hear them." Lee had stopped tugging at Basil's right arm. For some reason Basil had ended up thinking of ropes tied to horses that were about to rip him apart. Why? He wasn't sure.

"Go get someone taller!" Lee and Tina both left the stage. Basil starred in shock as he realized that he wasn't going to have anyone to talk to. He let out a sigh. "So Basil's how's your day been?" Well, maybe no one to talk to is a bit of a stretch. "Oh, fine Basil, yours?" He always had himself to talk to. "Oh nothing special aside from me and some other students getting trapped in a production of 'The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' via voodoo." Basil sighed. "How sad is this?"

"Pretty sad." Basil looked to the left to see Brad standing next to him. "But I find this entertaining." Basil started to swing himself with arms outreached and hands trying to grasp at Brad's neck. "Now what are you trying to do?"

"What does it look like?" Basil continued to swing himself. His hands kept getting closer to Brad's neck. "I'm going to shake out your brain cells by way of shaking you by the neck!"

"You do no that won't work, right?" Brad kept moving out of Basil's reach.

"I DON'T CARE!" Basil once again swung himself forward until finally the rope broke. He ended up flying in Brad's direction screaming like a mad man! Brad stepped to the side causing Basil to miss him completely. As Basil flew through the air, he ended up falling through the trap door that had been open. There was a loud thud as Basil hit the ground. Brad walked over to the trap door and looked down into the pitch-black darkness below.

"Basil?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah!" Brad grinned at Basil's response.

"Good!" He closed the trap door, leaving Basil alone and walked away. And there was he good deed toward Basil for today!


	29. Chapter 29

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy.**

**Bottom or Dogberry**

While everyone waited in the library for Barrage to come back, since they couldn't return to school without their supervisor, Lee and Tina searched for Basil. He couldn't have gotten down by himself. They had returned with Biffy and Steve and to their shock found him missing.

Basil couldn't have gotten down by himself. No one was sure where he was. Unless a really big owl had carried him away he had to be somewhere in the theater. Lee and Tina searched but they didn't find him. Ultimately they went their separate ways and got changed into their regular clothes.

When they returned to the library they saw Brad sitting at a table. His feet were resting on the table and his hands were behind his head. Brad wasn't usually like that… unless he had just done something to Basil.

"Brad!" Everyone starred at the entrance as Basil walked in. There was a clearly unhappy look on Basil's face. "For all your jerkiness you'd be excellent as Bottom or Dogberry." Brad gave Basil a blank look.

"What?" Basil's right hand smacked his forehead.

"The things that go over your heads!" Basil walked right up to Brad and placed a hand on the table Brad was sitting. "I landed on my head! After that I ended up imagining I saw some weird tunnels, and by the way, Mr. Morgan, one of the employees is growing an unpleasant kind of plant beneath the stage." Mr. Morgan had been reading a newspaper in a chair in a corner. When he had been told this, he raised an eyebrow. "You have any idea how many times that's happened to me? As of today twenty-six times!"

"Then why don't you have brain damage?"

"I've got a really hard skull." Brad scoffed at this.

"Yeah right!" A sly grin appeared on Basil's face.

"Hit me!" Brad shook his head.

"I'm not going to hit you." Basil started waving his arms around crazily at this.

"Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!" Basil's voice sped up. With an annoyed look appearing on Brad's face Basil's plan was working. Brad threw a punch only for Basil to duck and Brad's fist to hit the side of a bookshelf. Brad gasped in pain.

"Darn maple!" Basil looked at the bookshelf.

"Really? That's maple?" Brad nodded.

"The pain I'm in tells me it is." Basil snickered in response.

"Well then I guess we're even." Basil walked away, or at least he tried. Brad grabbed him by the collar, with the hand that wasn't in pain, and turned Basil to face him.

"You call that fair?" Basil thought for a moment. Finally, he nodded. "What? Why?"

"Let's see here: first you taunt me while I'm hanging from a rope, then after I fall down the open trapdoor you close the door and leave me while loudly whistling a song that doesn't rhyme!" Giuseppe tapped Brad on the shoulder. Basil and Brad both looked at the emo. This was unexpected.

"What song were you whistling?" This was really unexpected. Brad shook his head.

"It doesn't matter." Brad turned his head to look at Basil. He had gotten out of Brad's grip and was walking towards the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To get some fresh air!" Basil waved a hand. "It sickens me to be in the same room with one such as you!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Welcome back, gang. I decided to give Margarita the nickname "Rita" simply because I got tired of writing that long name. Also since it causes drama with the Lee-Tina-Brandy love triangle, I thought I'd have a more comedic love triangle involving Basil, Rita and Robin. Why? Well because I can and it's too funny considering Basil's hatred of birds. Enjoy.**

**Disaster!**

Basil stood outside. Brad was downright aggressive towards him. He had no idea why. Basil had never done anything to Brad. If he had he probably forgot about it.

The good news was that Basil had ben able to turn Barrage and Clarence on Legendre but now Brad was back to being a jerk towards him. If that was good news then he'd like to know what a disaster was.

Suddenly, two hands went over Basil's eyes. "Guess, who!"

"DISASTER!" It was actually Robin but to Basil any bird lover was a disaster.

"Excuse me?" Basil was turned around to face Robin. "How can you say that to me?" Basil swallowed. He was expecting a slap to the face. "You and me are like a pair of birds of paradise, a perfect couple."

"I know." What Basil was really thinking was "Oh hell, I'm engaged to a harpy!" If Lee and Brandy were any indication, it would seem that Robin would keep Basil from the girl he did love: Margarita Tejada or more simply Rita. The one thing he'd never do was kiss Robin. Lee had told him of an unfortunate situation involving Brandy and Basil promised himself that if he were ever in the same situation as Lee, he'd never do that unthinkable thing. Also he would never make another deal with Brad to get him out of something. Why? Well, he really didn't want to be turned against his friends. Basil then started to walk away. "Uh, I'll be right back, just wait here." Basil walked into the theater straight to the library. Chaz? A word?" Chaz starred at Basil with dull eyes. Stubbornly, he slowly walked towards Basil who was so irritated with Chaz's tortoise like pace that he looked like steam could come out of his ears if it wasn't impossible. By the time Chaz did get over to Basil, Basil has a large frown on his face. "You did that on purpose!"

"Yes, I did." Chaz grinned. The frown and irritation on Basil's face was humorous plus Chaz had made a bet with Steve that Brad would be the net victor when it came to his and Basil's rivalry. "You want to talk to me?" Basil leaned towards Chaz and whispered in his ear.

"It's time you repaid that favor!"


	31. Chapter 31

**Welcome back, gang. If you remember back to "Stranger in a Strange School" Chaz owes Basil a favor and now Chaz has to do that favor. Enjoy.**

**Date**

"You want me to do what?" Chaz screamed causing everyone in the library to look at him and Basil. Basil grabbed Chaz's shirt collar and dragged him out into the hall. They walked to the men's dressing room and Basil placed a chair against the door. Once he had done that, Basil glared at Chaz.

"Could you not scream any louder?" There was a sarcastic tone in Basil's voice. "I don't think the people back at school heard you!" Chaz rolled his eyes.

"I'm not asking Robin Raven out on a date!" Chaz turned away and looked at himself in the dressing room mirror. Chaz was so fixated on how he looked that he didn't even see Basil in the mirror. Basil turned Chaz to face him, grabbed him by the shirt and held up a fist.

"Now you see here, you ask Robin out or by Cu Chullain I'll punch you 'til Hell won't have it no more! Do you understand me?" Chaz nodded. Basil let go of Chaz's shirt and lowered his fist. "Okay, you can go ask her out now!" Chaz left the room and Basil stood looking at himself in the mirror. "I hate resorting to violence, it's just not me. It's just so savage, so brutal, so savage… wait, I already said that… why am I talking to… wait, where's my flat cap?" Basil looked around. He was dressed in his regular clothing, he had gotten dressed before confronting Brad the only thing missing was his flat cap. That was a delayed reaction on his part. An embarrassingly very long delayed reaction. It must have been twenty minutes after getting dressed and he just noticed this. Basil looked around. Where was it? Chaz walked into the room just as Basil started to search it for his flat cap.

"Well, I tried." Basil looked at Chaz with a 'You were only gone three minutes' look on his face.

"Try harder." Basil then continued to look around as Chaz left for a second time. Chaz returned a second time with an unhappy look on his face.

"I'm going on a date with Robin Raven." Basil walked towards Chaz laughing. He placed his hands on Chaz's shoulders as if congratulating him.

"Excellent now where is my flat cap?"

"Brad has it." The happy look on Basil's face vanished. Instantly he left the room with unfriendly intentions.


	32. Chapter 32

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy.**

**Give me back my hat!**

Basil walked towards Brad. He was still groaning in pain from his fist hitting the bookshelf. Brad looked up at Basil. There was a clear look of anger in his eyes, in both of their eyes.

"Now what?" Basil placed a hand on the table.

"Give me back my hat!" Brad shook his head in response.

"No!" Brad knew Basil would come back. Once he realized his precious hat was missing he'd come straight to him! Basil's hand shot out and grabbed Brad by the shirt. He had not seen this coming.

"Give me back my hat or so help me I'll give you two black eyes you big jerk!" Brad starred, unsure if Basil was bluffing or not.

"You wouldn't dare!" A sly grin appeared on Basil's face.

"Try me!"

"You won't do it!" Basil then raised a fist.

"You sure about that, Brad?"

"I know you, Basil, you won't do punch someone with this many people present." Basil shook his head.

"Obviously, you weren't present both times I punched Chaz." A no nonsense look appeared on Basil's face. "But the only real reason I'm threatening you with a couple of black eyes is for the cruelty you treated me with."

"The first time was a joke, Basil." Brad placed a hand on Basil's wrist. He was trying to remove Basil's hand from his shirt. "You knocked me down into some mud after that." A confused look appeared on Basil's face. He looked around. Everyone had their eyes on him. Basil then let go of Brad and lowered his fist. He turned his head to look back at Brad.

"Brad, I never knocked you down."


	33. Chapter 33

**Welcome back, gang.. Enjoy. **

**Likability **

Brad blinked. Basil had not knocked him down into any mud? He had to be lying but Basil's face was a truthful one but so had been Tina's. Too many people Brad knew were liars but Basil was the worst of them all.

"Brad, you must know that I'm telling the truth!" Brad didn't look convinced. "We've known each for a long time, our dads never showed their dislike for one another when we were present so why do you hate me?" Brad opened his mouth to talk but Basil quickly interrupted him. "And don't say because your dad told you to hate me because I know that you'll be lying, I know when people are lying, it's a gift I have!"

"You're making that last part up!" Basil nodded.

"Yeah, I am now tell me the truth." Brad sighed. He looked down then looked back at Basil.

"Alright, you want to know why I hate you?" Basil nodded. "It's because you're so darn likable, everyone likes you to the point it's annoying!"

"I told you not to lie." Basil was clearly not convinced but Brad's reason. "I know everyone doesn't like me! Barrage doesn't like me, Chopper doesn't like anyone and thus does not like me, one of the mathletes doesn't like me, one of the emos doesn't like me, Ed the ex-water boy doesn't like me, Suzie doesn't like me because I called her insane for what she and her friends did at that factory, there are people who don't like me now tell the truth!" Brad sighed.

"The truth is I can't remember why I hate you, I just hate you because it feels so natural."

"Okay, can I have my hat back now?"

"Sure." Brad handed Basil his flat cap. Basil then placed the cap on his head. "We still on for bowling on Saturday?"

"Can't, there are auditions at the Welles Theater for a production of 'The Elephant Man' and I'm going to try out for the role of Joseph Merrick." Basil then started to walk away backwards. "How about chess on Sunday?"

"Can't, I'll be at a charity, we'll discuss the rules for our feud some other time!"

"Right!" And with that Basil left the library. This left everyone except Brad wondering, what had just happened.


	34. Chapter 34

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy.**

**A Picture**

Basil stepped out of the theater just as Barrage walked into it. There was no sign of Robin. That was good. Basil had decided to go through the theater instead of the backstage entrance so he must have missed her.

The day was good… weather wise. No rain, no clouds, no wind just a nice day weather wise.

He then heard the door close. Basil turned around and saw Lee.

"What's up?" Lee raised an eyebrow. Usually this was Basil's thing but he sounded so casual that Lee was the one who ended up doing the eyebrow raising.

"Is that all you have to say after everything that went on today?" Basil nodded in response. "And in there! Between you and Brad! Bowling? Are you two crazy?"

"There is no reason why me and him can't act civil in each other's company at times." Basil scratched his cheek. "And as for today, I don't have much of anything to say." Basil coughed a bit. He felt a sore throat coming. Hopefully that wouldn't mean honey in the throat and a sock around the neck. "Do you have anything to say besides that?"

"Actually, I do." Lee took a picture out of his pocket. Basil looked at it with a blank expression on his face, his default expression.

"What is it?"

"Take a look!" Basil took the picture and immediately he saw what it was. A kindergarten picture! One of his! There he was wearing glasses that made him look ludicrously owl-like. Basil then looked over at Lee.

"How'd you get one of my kindergarten pictures?"

"One of ours!" Basil raised his eyebrow in question. Lee tapped the picture and Basil's eyes noticed that there were quite a few familiar faces but younger.

"That's you." Lee nodded. "And Tina!" Basil squinted as he tried to figure out who one person was. "Wait, who's that?" Lee leaned over and looked at the picture. He then shrugged. Basil then smiled. "So much for having been a stranger!"


	35. Chapter 35

**Welcome back, gang. This is the last chapter and the next story I work on, well I haven't thought about that yet but I know that it will be a breather. Enjoy.**

**A Nice Day**

Back at school, Basil relaxed in detention. After all that happened today, now was a goodtime for him to relax.

"So what do you think happened to Legendre?" Basil, with his hands behind his head and his feet on the desk, turned his head to look at Lee.

"Exit pursued by a bear!" Lee raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Read 'The Winter's Tale' you'll understand."

"More Shakespeare references?" Basil nodded at Biffy' question. Given the position Basil was in it was pretty difficult. "You seriously have too much Shakespeare on the brain."

"Yes, if only I could remember what my dreams are like." Basil sighed sadly. "I'd suggest finding out through hypnosis but due to the testing of a specific song that Lee has on his phone I am immune to hypnosis… but I keep going in and out of a trance."

"So what are those moments like?" Lee's question caused an uncertain expression to appear on Basil's face.

"They're too strange to describe." Basil shook his head. "Take my word for it."

"And Clarence?" Once again Lee was asking the question. Basil shrugged. Given his position this was very awkward.

"Maybe the Dragon turned on him?" Basil then blinked. He got out of hi relaxed position and stood up. "Oh no! If that's what happened then that means the Dragon is roaming around the city! Okay, maybe Clarence and the Dragon both went back to Xanadu." Biffy shook his head.

"Man, I hope that's what happened." Basil and Lee nodded in agreement. "That first idea doesn't sound so good. And actually neither do you, Basil." Basil sat down and nodded. "You coming down with a sore throat?" Basil nodded again. "What are you gonna do about that?"

"Hold honey in my throat and wrap a sock around my neck." Biffy and Lee both starred. That was the strangest thing they had ever heard to treat a sore throat. Basil starred back at them. "What? The ancient Egyptians use to do the honey thing!"

"And how many ancient Egyptians do you see around these days?" Lee's comment caused Basil to revert back to his default expression, the blank look on his face. Biffy laughed at this, at Basil's face mostly.

"And as for the sock around the throat my grandma use to do that to me when I was a younger." Basil blinked. He then shook his head and sighed. "Okay, that just says how weird my grandma is, but at least it works."

"We'll take your word for it." Basil didn't even look at Lee. He just sat back and looked at the ceiling.

"After everything that happened, I think it's been a nice day." Basil blew on his knuckles and rubbed them on his shirt. "And everything that happened all happened before lunch!" Basil then closed his eyes. "It's better to have stuff like that happen before lunch, not during lunch, after lunch is good too but it's better to have it be in the morning when you're not as awake, it really wakes you up!"

"Where do you come up with these things?" Basil opened his eyes and turned to look at Biffy.

"I have a desk calendar at home."

**The End**


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